The Missing Prince
by Team Dragon Star
Summary: It only took one shot to change the world. A murdered princess, a missing prince, and the rest of the world is left to pick up the pieces.
1. Prologue

**This chapter was brought to you by Gohan-to-the-Max.**

**Disclaimer: Team Dragon Star does not own Dragon Ball.**

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><p>Son Gohan gently splashed the running water onto his face, thinking about the day of which was to come and the path he was now meant to walk.<p>

Five months after the Cell Games, life had changed for the world. Recent news of the expansion of the Ox Kingdom brought joy and happiness to the land, and a new heir was named later on the day of the news. His name was Son Gohan, however the rest of the world knew him by his royal name of Oxander Mao. The second heir was reportedly on its way, the current's king daughter being in her second trimester of pregnancy. No one knew what happened to the father; he was famous in his own way for being a martial artist. This man was thought to be dead but the public had no official answers since the royal family refused to comment on the situation.

Today was easily the most important day of the last few decades. The rest of the royal family - who had moved out of the palace years ago - were finally moving back in, and officially taking up all their duties once more.

"How do I look?" inquired Chi Chi as she gracefully walked into the same room as her oldest son.

"You look amazing mum," he replied, his eyes were still on her scarlet dress which only just reached the floor. "It compliments your figure nicely, but it draws attention to the area around the bump." The young Son made sure to tread carefully as he mentioned the bump, she wasn't too appreciative of it.

Chi Chi released a heart-warming smile as her hands gently moved over and began caressing the baby bump. "That was the whole point of me wearing this dress, it was to illustrate the bump."

"Well it's doing it's job then. And hey, another good thing about today is that you won't make me study," Gohan said with a playful smirk.

"Oh, don't worry, you'll still study," Chi Chi chuckled slightly as Gohan's face visibly drooped, "However it will have to be after the ceremony." The woman insisted as her child moved closer towards her, carefully placing her hand upon the boy's cheek as she held her smile. "You look just like your father."

"Thanks mum... I really miss him, I just wish he could be here."

"Don't we all, especially with baby Goten on the way." The mother turned away from her child as she shed a single tear before wiping it and looking up to the sky, "But I'm sure he's watching over all of us from heaven."

"Come now, we must get going if we want to arrive to the ceremony on time," Chi Chi stopped herself from getting too emotional as she instructed her son.

The boy nodded his head as they walked out of his old bedroom. The mother-and-son duo walked throughout their small country home with an air of nostalgia around them, saying goodbye to their past and the boy's childhood for one last time. They walked to the front of his home as a man dressed in white opened up the door of the formal car. Chi Chi entered the car first, shooing away the chauffeur as she insisted on getting in by herself, and Gohan followed behind. He placed one foot in and turned his body around as he smiled.

"Goodbye," he whispered under his breath towards his childhood home. It was still full of memories that felt like an eternity away but at the same time were within an arm's grasp. "Goodbye my home."

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><p>Gyu Mao stood staring out of the palace window. Below him, he noticed the build-up of excited members of the public and the media gathering rapidly. He glanced towards a wrist-watch, noting that they were due to return any minute now. Even though he was thrilled, five years ago Chi Chi wouldn't have returned to the palace in his wildest dreams, doubts ran through him. His grandson was going to be brought up in the media's eye, something that no-one in his family had experienced before. During Chi Chi's childhood, the Ox Kingdom had been thought of as a dark place and drew little media attention, while Gohan had grown up in an isolated home in the woods.<p>

He watched as the car he sent to collect his daughter and Grandson pulled up through the long drive way, many people began screaming with joy whilst the king descended from his place within the palace to meet his family members out front.

...

"My name is Twinkle Howard and this is the day that we have been looking forward to since the dreadful events of the Cell games. Today is the long awaited day where the heir to the Ox Kingdom will be announced and the day where Princess Chi Chi will return back to the throne. At this moment we can see the royal car pulling into the long drive way and the doors to the palace have begun to open. The general public has gathered around the balcony of which they will be formally introduced on and now we can see the Ox King standing at the doors with members of his personal guard."

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><p>"You ready mum?" Gohan asked as he re-adjusted his tie, Chi Chi shaking her head in response before taking a deep breath.<p>

"I never thought I would return back to the lifestyle of royalty," she said quietly. "But this is a better lifestyle than what we would have had out there in the forest by ourselves." She clenched her teeth nervously, as she gripped the comfortable leather seat.

"Don't worry mum, everything is going to be alright." He comforted her as he placed his hand onto hers. "It's time for the world to know who the Son family really is."

_'Or at least three fourths of it,'_ a frowning Chi Chi thought, though she chose to withhold that line of thought from her eldest who was still very much shaken by the loss of his father. Looking around the crowd, she glanced towards the brilliant sky longingly. _'Goku, you'll come back to me, won't you?'_

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><p>The door to the royal car opened for the two, roars of joy erupted through the gathered crowd as two servants carrying umbrella's to hide their faces from the public eye, appeared next to the door. Both servants popped them up as a dainty foot in red heels gracefully slid from outside the car. Followed directly behind her was her son. The two servants walked simultaneously with the two members of the royal family as they walked away from the crowd, towards the sheltered entrance. The King stood smiling as he reached out his hand towards the woman, she grabbed onto it as the crowd saw the unknown child and the known princess walk into the palace and the doors firmly shutting behind them.<p>

"Welcome to your new home." King Gyu Mao stated as his eyes moved from his daughter to his grandson. "Both of you look like royalty, but there's still one thing missing."

He signalled with his hand for one of his other servants to come over, in his hand was a pillow with a tiara rested on top. Chi Chi turned her eyes from her father, to the pillow, and back to her father as a few tears threatened to leak out. "It's my mother's tiara."

"And now it's yours." He responded as he lifted the crowd and placed it on her head. "Now shhhh, don't say another word Chi Chi, it's time for us to introduce Gohan to the world."

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><p>"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Ox Kingdom, and the rest of the world, I present to you with his majesty King Gyu Mao and her highness Princess Chi Chi Mao." A member of the Royal Guard yelled down towards the crowd of gathered people. From behind him, the palace doors to the balcony opened up. A large man dressed in a black suit walked forwards first, on his head he wore a crown with two ox's horns pointing out of the side. Following behind him was the older version of the Princess the people of the Ox Kingdom last saw, her red dress glistened underneath the sunlight as she stepped forwards and followed her father. People below muttered how she was the spitting image of her mother as they all cheered.<p>

"I am greatly honoured to announce the expansion of the Ox Kingdom, yet the greatest honour of all is the return of my daughter and her son. It is her son that is due to next take the throne after me and up until now my grandson has lived a life in solitude. Away from the public he experienced a normal childhood and has grown into a fine, young boy." The King roared as the people cheered. "It is with great honour to present his Royal Highness Prince Oxander Mao, first in line for the throne of the Ox Kingdom."

Son Gohan stepped forwards from behind the balcony door, he strolled forward as the crowd screamed at a faster rate. The boy wore a suit which was royal blue, his hair gently spiked back in a shorter version of his late father's unusual hairstyle. For a brief second he looked down onto his arm where a small charm bracelet rested, he then lifted that arm up into the air and waved down to the crowds below him.

He took in a deep breath as he parted his lips, as he chanted with an ever growing smile gracing his lips. "It is an honour to be named the next in line for the throne and I will help make the Ox Kingdom do its utmost. It's a time of change where we are to decide our own futures, it will be my tribute to serve this Kingdom and defend those within it. I will protect those who are weak and those who are poor as well as those who are wealthy and strong, this is a time for the Ox Kingdom to flourish and strive."

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><p>Meanwhile two little girls sat in a baby blue bedroom; one was playing with the other's long onyx hair as they both eagerly watched the news report on the TV. The blonde girl sighed as she released the lock of hair, a smile resting upon her delicate face.<p>

"Look at him Vi," she sighed. "That is a boy of pure perfection, a true prince."

"Perhaps, but but he seems to be butt-kissing for attention, just look at him," The raven haired one scowled.

"That's because he was raised in solitude, it almost must be really new to him, but he seems really nice!" the blond retorted. "I think I am in love."

"Well I think he's just spoiled and a snob. He may look good Erasa, but he could be an idiot. He is a princes and all the other princes I've met have just been idiots."

A loud 'bang' originating from the TV quickly caught their attentions, both of their eyes immediately shooting back over to the screen as their mouths began to drop.

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><p>"NOOOO!" Gohan screamed as he allowed his body to fall onto the floor. Tears streaked down his face as his eyes moved back towards the metallic bracelet. The suddenly-silent crowd below him watched anxiously as they saw the Princess Chi Chi move her hand over a blast wound on her stomach. The mother coughed gently however blood dripped out from her mouth. Her father grabbed onto her stumbling body as the child clicked a button on the bracelet, the item falling into his pocket.<p>

The future heir lifted his head up, his eyes wide in disbelief as he stood up and moved towards his bleeding mother who was just carefully placed on the floor. Tears filled her eyes as she placed her hand on her son's cheek. Her lips parted slightly as she took in a deep breath.

"I-It's... too... late... to... s-save... me... but... Go... ten..." she hissed, the boys tears continued to fall down his face. "Sa..ve... G-Got...en..."

"Mum," he whispered under his breath as from the corner of his eyes, he saw members of the medical personnel rush to the balcony. Tears continued to streak down his face. "You can't leave me, YOU CAN'T!"

"I'm...sor...ry..." she smiled as her hand fell from his cheek, tears from his eyes fell onto her paling face as her eyes shut for the final time.

"MUUUMMMM!" He screamed as his hair flashed gold, he lifted up into the air as the boy continued to scream with anger.

His brilliant golden aura suddenly transformed to that of a tainted orange as the green eyed teenager flew off, far away, completely uncaring for the crowd he left behind. All he wanted to do was get away. He didn't know where, but it didn't matter. _'First dad... and now mum too.'_

He landed on a sandy beach as bare feet, his shoes demolished by the violent aura, touched the grainy floor, a look of hatred and anger upon his face. His eyes turned cold as his hair returned back to its former black, fluttering in the wind's ferocious breeze. His hand reached into his pocket as he grasped the metallic bracelet before shoving it onto his wrist.

His gaze fastened on the waves crashing against each other, a salty aroma lingering in the air.

"I promise you mum, I will avenge you," he hissed towards the beach's water, his hand raised as he pressed a few buttons on the bracelet. "I will find your killer and make them pay."


	2. Who am I?

**The Missing Prince**

**Team Dragon Star** claims no property or authority over Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z or Dragon Ball GT. This is simply a fan thought up idea made for the fans. So vote! Team Dragon Star *Gets Shot*

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><p>"AHH!" The boy screamed feverishly at the top of his lungs. Twisting and turning his head he looked all around, no one was there. It was just the beginning of his day. Typical. Dragging himself to the edge of the nearby lake he supposes he fell unconscious by, he splashed some water over his bloodshot eyes and blinked a couple of times before shaking the cool liquid from his features. Thinking he needed just another splash he cupped his hands and brought up another pool of water to his face, but he stopped before cleaning himself off. He saw something in the water, those dark eyes that had lost their flare. That full head of hair that was once stood so tall. Who did these features belong to?<p>

Me of course! But who am I? Well if you don't know, then congratulations. You're just one of the few billion that have been looking for me for 6 long years. My name was lost that day, erased and forgotten along with the rest of my family. But don't be scared, this is just how my usual morning starts. I fly around somewhere, no where in particular for hours, I search a city or two with no real intentions and I leave. I waste all my energy flying all night and crash somewhere out in the middle of nowhere. And when I do finally fall unconscious, one real of film plays over and over in my head until I wake up from the nightmare that is my past. Sad story right?

But oh no, don't feel bad for me. Because good things always happen to good people, you just have to wait, time will do the rest. At least that's what I was told a long time ago by a good fri- and old acquaintance of mine. If you can't tell by now, I'm one of those psychotic nut cases who spends his life searching for someone or something he might never find, but I try and try because I'm a good person. I am a good person right? I've helped save an entire race of people before. I may have fallen back and watched my friends die right before my very eyes before, but I'm still a good person right? I may have watched my whole family die within my reach, but I'm still a good person, right? I hope you can answer this question for me, because at this point, I'm not so sure anymore. Is holding a grudge against an unknown figure something a good person would do? Is wasting your life away looking for someone who might not exist anymore, is that something a good person would do?

Well I don't care. Because I've done enough good for a lifetime that I deserve my just desserts. And what have I done exactly to deserve such a fate? Well, I don't know honestly. But I do know that I'm not what one would call normal. I'm not what one would call sane. No, I'm most certainly not sane, not anymore. I've been through worse hells than anyone could imagine. I may not have died just to come back to life and die again, but being so close to death that you feel a pain worse than dying? I've been there.

But hey, why am I telling you all of this? You don't even know me. No one does. I barely know me anymore. But how can that be? I've lived with myself and myself alone for the past 6 years doing the same thing over and over everyday, day after day. I don't know how, but I'm still alive, somehow. I know it wouldn't be possible without a little help here and there. Like how I mysteriously wake up with clean clothes or even some food lying by my head at times. I know there's still at least one person looking after me. But there's no way I can face him, not now, I've avoided him for far too long. I have something I need to do before I go showing my gratitude to those who won't accept it.

But enough of this. Today is an unusual day and I have to put my game face on. I did something without thinking the other day and I'm not so sure why, it was just a nagging thought in the back of my mind that was implanted at the ripe age of 5. I guess you can say it was her last gift to me, sort of, a way to move on. Who knows, it's time to clean myself up and get ready for what's going to be a very long day.

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><p>It was unbelievable, unheard of, amazing. A stream of people walking all around with bright white smiles plastered on their faces without a single care in the world. Conversations flowed every which way he went, he couldn't believe it. Was this how people really acted? He couldn't tell whether any of this was some Hollywood set-up or just another one of his nightmares. It was hard to believe. He had to pinch himself. He winced in pain and shook his head. Yup, it was real. Everything. The vibrant orange hallways, the hundreds of doors numbered in order spreading to the end of hind sight.<p>

Aimlessly he walked around, ignoring the stares of those in his way he would accidentally bump into. He stood tall but aloof. He had no idea how to navigate around this place, somewhere so new, so, he couldn't describe it. There was just this happy aura floating about the area. He didn't know how to react to it. Maybe this was a bad idea, the door was always open, he could always scamper on out with his tail between his legs. He considered it before bumping into another victim just trying to walk by. She dropped the books in her hands and bent over to pick them up.

"Ah dammit! Not again." She screeched before grabbing her papers one by one. He felt sort of at fault for this poor girl's misfortune. Down on one knee, he helped in retrieving her paper. He opened his mouth and tried to apologize, but couldn't bring himself to shedding such emotions. Instead it was her to continue rambling on.

"I'm such a klutz! Agh! I'm so sorry, this seems to be happening a lot to me lately." She lifted her head to see the brick wall she felt she knocked into. Almost instantly her eyes went wide at the tarzan like figure staring black directly back at her. Just from his eyes she could tell that he was strong, but somewhere deep in that stare there was this child like feature that was being held back. This guy certainly was a mystery. Right there she made it her mission to get to know him better.

The two stood up simultaneously and stared into each other's eyes. She extended her right arm while holding her papers between her left arm and her chest. "Hi! My name's Erasa, it's nice to meet you."

This sort of interaction, human interaction, it was so foreign, what was he supposed to do? Nature had taught him to do one thing, but nurture taught him another. He too brought his arm forward. She grabbed his hand and shook hard. He taken by surprise at how strong her grip was, he'd make note of that.

"It's nice to meet you Gohan. But you look a bit lost. Are you new here?" He hesitated a bit and fumbled with his words before they came clear out of his mouth.

"Yea, it's my first day. Is it that obvious?" He backed off a bit as she inched closer, observing his features? Did she know who he was? Did she recognize him? No, that wasn't possible. He died 6 years ago, no one could recognize him. He took a deep breathe of air and put on the fakest smile he could manage, he hoped she would buy it.

"It's sorta written all over your face. Now come on, you look like you need some help finding your way. I'll take you to the office and they'll do the rest." She grabbed his arm and dragged him along the way to the office. There he picked up his schedule. Erasa had been waiting outside for him the whole time. He was looking over his schedule when she ripped it from his grasp and scanned the paper herself. She let out an excited squeal when she noticed something that was extremely out the ordinary. It had to have out of some stroke of luck.

"Hey Gohan. We have like almost every class together! Including first period! Now come on, we're going to be late."

Well this was an odd change of pace from his usual day of searching cities in and out. Maybe the school had some sort of gossip ring he could go around. Whatever the case, this might just be a positive change to his odd lifestyle. They came to door of their first class and walked in together. It was then the boy who had lost everything found himself staring eye to eye with someone who had everything.

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><p>AN: Now how's that for a chapter. Short as it may be, my excuse is I don't know the original intentions for this story. Gohan-to-the-Max hasn't been heard from for a while, so I just winged it. Pretty good eh?

First person isn't always bad. It just has to be written right. It's a bit odd how it was done here, but acceptable for the introduction. It's like he was talking to you the reader, but talking to himself too. Anyways...for those who could not tell, your author for this chapter has been Zi-Dawg. Hope you enjoyed.


	3. When the Music Stops

**Authors Notes: Your base writer for this chapter has been Kakarot Son. I hope you all enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Neither I, nor Team Dragon Star claim ownership towards DBZ… It's most likely that none of us ever will.**

**Additional note: Several people have expressed interest in joining. This is an open group! All you have to do is go to our forums (ranked about fourth in top posts for DBZ, or a link is available towards the bottom of our profile), and go to the Marshalling Zone.**

…

Chapter 3: When the Music Stops

…

"What do you think you're looking at?" The raven haired girl he was staring at, all but exclaimed.

Erasa walked over to the girl who was wearing bike shorts, slapping her gently on the back. "Oh come on Vi, he's new. Cut him some slack; remember what you did to the last new one? Besides he's kind of cute."

"That's all you think about Erasa. Who are you anyway?" Icy blue eyes, gazed into warm onyx ones.

"I'm Gohan… Gohan Mune. What's your name?" Gohan asked, deciding to be polite. He was in a different environment, and he didn't know anyone. It was best to try and get their trust and stab them in the back, after all one of them must know the assassin. The assassin… Gohan had never found, his mother had been unforgivingly murdered, at the time they couldn't use the dragon balls. Afterwards he had managed to gather them, and quickly summoned Shenron, only to find out that she could not be brought back. For reasons, 'not understandable by mere mortals.' In the space of less than a year, he'd lost everything. A father, a mother and an unborn sibling.

"Oh come on, Mister Moon." The boy with long hair and a blue singlet moaned sarcastically, "Even up there you must've heard of Videl Satan. You know the daughter of Hercule Satan?"

Gohan rubbed his head nervously, where had he heard that name before. He knew it somewhere, somehow, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Please tell me you've heard of Hercule? The defeater of Cell? Does that ring a bell?" Sharpener's eyes widened, if he hadn't heard of the name Satan, this kid must've had an isolated childhood. In fact he probably barely had a childhood.

"But I- Oh yeah you mean Hercules right? Hercules Devil right? I've heard of him." Gohan frowned slightly as he tried to remember who this supposed defeater of Cell was. He thought back to the Cell games, as he remembered the ZTV filming crew. _'Which one was he again? Oh yeah, that's right. He was the obnoxious one with a weird haircut. An afro if I'm not mistaken.' _Gohan's eyes flashed with recognition.

Sharpener gazed suspiciously at the teenager; it was a well-known fact that Hercule was called both, Hercules and Devil. They were both puns on his name, but nobody referred so casually to him like that. "Well Videl is his daughter." The blond received a punch to his gut, from his raven haired friend.

"I'm more than capable of taking care of myself, thank you." Videl spoke in a gruff voice, brandishing her knuckles. "Name's Videl Satan, pleasure to meet you." She held out her hand.

Gohan was confused, what on Earth was she doing? _'One minute ago, she was yelling at me, and now she's acting like it had never happened?'_ Gohan grasped the hand firmly, his smooth hand dancing along her bike glove. "It's nice to meet you too."

A large bell rang, an electronic one if Gohan had to take a guess. From the many books which Gohan had read, he was almost certain that it meant the beginning of class. Taking his books from the top of his desk, he began to open them.

"Oi, moon-boy what are you doing? It's tutor period!" Sharpener laughed at the new boy's apparent idiocy.

"It's w-what?" This had definitely not been in any of the books he had read, there had always been a bell, and the character would move to the next class.

"Oh come on Sharpie, cut him a break, he's been home-schooled his entire life. It's not his fault he doesn't know how it works." Erase smiled gracefully before sending a wink towards Gohan.

The teacher walked in the door, frowning quite deeply. Until he noticed Gohan, it made him smile, Gohan seemed to be the perfect student, or at least that's what his test scores said. He looked slightly to the right of Gohan, only to notice Videl. That brought a far larger smile to his face. "Ahh Miss Satan, you're on time today."

Videl seemed to hear his muttering, and brushed her pig-tailed hair out of her face. "Well the chief hasn't called me in for anything, so it looks like today might be a good day." She smiled back, "besides I'd be missing out on History with you, if he did call me in, Mr. K!"

It was a rare event, Videl Satan smiling and at school on time, in the same day. Something must've been going right. "Always a pleasure to have a student like you, Videl. Now class, quiet down." He raised his voice towards the end of it.

"We have a new student today, I told you about him last year. His name is Mune Gohan, or Gohan Mune, as the Westerners put it. He received perfect scores in every single entrance exam, and I can personally assure you, he will be one of the best History students, I'll ever have test-wise."

Everyone quietened down when they heard the new kid, had received perfect scores on his exams, they all suddenly starred at him.

A few mutters of "Nerd" went around the class, as the girls smiled, the jocks laughed and the A-grade students allowed their jaws to drop. Who was this kid?

'_Why do I feel so alienated… They're treating me like I'm some weird alien.'_

…

Gohan ripped his school shirt off, as he let the wind embrace his bare chest. It was lunch time, and he decided he needed to catch some air. Though it would definitely not do to have someone recognize the school badge on his baggy blue shirt, so he just ripped the damn thing off and put it in his school back pack. He flew, his aura gently flaring. It was no longer the sweet silver that it was so long ago. It was now a war-tattered and dark grey; he had only noticed it after the assassination… Gohan clenched his fists as he let his mind wander once more… They'd pay, or hell hath no fury.

He laughed manically, as he let his power escalate, his power level rising dramatically. As he slowly ascended to the "legendary" Super Saiyan, flexing his muscles he let out a yell. Lightning struck nearby as a storm washed up, the wind howling as his aura changed from a dark grey to an almost magical golden colour. His now- dark, brown, lifeless- eyes turned into a gleaming light blue, teal. A tint of green was easily available among the pupils.

His hair was flashing wildly as he slowly made the transformation, it glowed bright white before fading to a light yellow, before returning to its former black. The process repeated itself a few times, before his hair stopped suddenly, staying as a bright brilliant gold.

He flew around flipping in the air, shouting wildly. It had been so long since he had done this, and it felt so right. He had finally gotten his portable Ki suppression device working, meaning he could do almost whatever the hell he wanted, without anyone sensing his power. He gave a knowing smile at the bracelet around his wrist, it was the beauty which did all of this.

Before he had, needed to resort to having it completely supressed as he managed to loot a few computers, and pieces of machinery to experiment his device on. First he had it in the shape of a computer which would supress any Ki signature within a one mile radius, if he remembered correctly that was around 1.6 Kilometres, in metric. That was quite a lot, but not much for someone of his calibre. He could do the whole mile in less than a quarter of a second, a couple of times and then some. It was where to this date, his base was. He then focused on fixing the computer, feeling the Ki of nothing at all, was far too obvious. The chances of anyone realising that 'nothing' was there, was slim to none, but Gohan hadn't wanted to take a single chance. He slowly, managed to get it to lock onto his Ki signature, at first it was extremely faulty and would occasionally blow a fuse. He could sense all energy around him, even the one within him. Sensing energy was like sending a small amount of Ki out like radar, almost using the same technology as sound waves. It would hit the target and go through, measuring how large the power was, before returning to the user. He could send the Ki to himself, and back, still getting the same amount of information.

Now Gohan and most of his _friends_ could send out millions of Ki waves within seconds, it was very helpful. There however was always a feeling that something was wrong when he sensed his own mechanically suppressed Ki, it felt as if the waves were being tampered. Luckily he had, field tested it on various animals and began to realise that it felt tampered, because he could feel his own Ki better than others could.

After adding some finesse touches to the computer, he slowly shrunk it into a necklace, which surprisingly worked quite well. The only problem however was that whenever it blew a fuse, it would electrocute him. He may very well have been the strongest being in the universe, but getting electrocuted wasn't very pleasant. Especially with the way that constant electrocution would put him at risk, it would super-fry his body. He then began working on moving the more efficient computer soft wear to a micro-chip, which he hid inside his bracelet. Gohan had to admit however, the bracelet was a smart idea, but a little to suspicious. He would be asked to take it off due to how easily it could cut someone during sporting lessons, and refusing wouldn't help much. Perhaps a watch? Which would seek out his energy level in a certain range and suppress it? He wasn't too sure.

…

He could hear a helicopter a few hundred or so metres in front of him. And to be honest with himself it was really annoying him. The constant sound of the blades cutting the air, ruined the sense of nature which Gohan had come out here to achieve. Even wore was, that if they were to spot him, his life would practically be over, as he would be labelled a freak. He had read it before in a novel, something about the Paparazzi.

He starred on at the chopper, considering blasting it from the sky and onto the ground. When all of a sudden a person jumped out, and the helicopter disappeared in a puff of smoke. In fact, Gohan would say it just de-capsulized and the person who had come out of the Helicopter was carrying a capsule. Now remotely interested, in the fact that a person was about to plunge to their death Gohan almost charged at the person. He however begun to notice, just before he took off that the person fell into a roll.

Landing almost acrobatically, the person began to run down the building which she had landed on. Interestingly enough, it was a bank.

Gohan followed, now extremely interested, was this person about to hold the bank hostage? Another idea which he had gotten from a book, the worst he had done was stolen a computer. And that too, he hadn't really stolen it. He took it from Capsule Corp and Bulma said that her home was their home, once. He wasn't sure, but he didn't really care. He technically stole an item, but he knew Bulma would've let him anyway.

'_Besides, the saviour of the Earth should be shown some gratitude as well.' _Gohan thought before he began to ferociously shake his head, '_No! Dad wouldn't have said that, not in a million years. He saved the universe countless times and asked for nothing. That wasn't me just then. I've got to make dad proud of me, and prove to him that I'm strong.'_

He floated onto the building, before dropping himself and walking down the stairs, tailing the person. He levitated slightly, to not make noise, as he ghostly followed the person.

Attempting to recognise the person, he frowned. He could distinctly see two pig-tails, tied with yellow hair bands, a white over-sized shirt and -what seemed to be – the bottom, of a pair of shrits. Thinking back to earlier that morning, he thought of every member he remembered within the class. Wait a second… That hair… Those shorts… That massive shirt.

"V-Videl?"

**Authors Notes: When the Music Stops, by D12 featuring Eminem. Go check it out, if you care about rap. Hope you guys enjoyed this, and don't forget to stop by our forums. Leave a review if you have any queries or questions, PM me or this account if you want to express interest in joining Team Dragon Star.**

**I will fight for what's right. Yes that means Kaka's fighting to see a Saiyaman Gohan, rather than the old and usual Gold Fighter bad ass figure. How about it guys? Some humor for once with Saiyaman? (Not going to have him acting like a total idiot, but I'd rather Saiyaman to Gold Fighter). Let us know what you think, and we'll consider it!**

**Have a look at our Code Geass fic, Heroes of the Ghetto. We intend to have a self insert for almost every TDS member.**

**Kaka out.**


	4. Just A Good Person

**The Missing Prince**

**Chapter 4: Just a good person**

We don't own DBZ

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><p>It was curiosity.<p>

After recognizing her clothes, he found that he was curious about her reasons for swarming the bank. Like a ghost, he followed after her, gliding quietly behind as she made her way down the shallow stairs.

As soon as she pushed through the massive doors, he saw right away that she was walking into mortal danger. In true ghost fashion, he disappeared and re-appeared on the roof, creating a slight ghost of a wind behind him.

Videl turned around, a slight chill creeping up on her, a lingering sense of unease making her slightly edgy - but the doorway was empty, and there was absolutely no one there. She frowned, shaking off her apprehension. She couldn't afford to have her eyes checking behind her, especially since she had just taken in the scene in play inside the bank. _Looks like I have four goons to take care of._ She pumped her fist into her palm.

The first robber - very short and bald - held his gun pointed at the mixed group of bank staff and customers, huddled together; trembling and crying in the corner.

The second robber - average height, dark hair, face littered with pimples - held the gun across the counter at a shaken-up teller.

The third robber - orange flaming hair, nice build and actually kind of cute - was yelling angry and obscene vulgarities at the teller, as he commanded her to empty the contents of her shelves into his black bag.

The fourth guy - big, bulky, hairy guy - appeared to be preoccupied with something behind an empty till, probably trying to figure out how to open it. It didn't even appear as if any of them had seen her enter.

_Amateurs_

She shook her head as she flexed her fingers through her black gloves and smirked, leaping into the air and crashing her foot against the temple of the first robber - baldy. Caught off guard, he let out a yell, losing control of his weapon as it shot into the ceiling, making a loud roar as it ripped holes through the chalky substance.

The sound of the shots made the others turn from their engagements in a panic. Pimple face turned his weapon away from the teller and pointed it shakily at the approaching crime-fighter. He looked frighten and afraid at the same time. A smirk appeared across her face as she triumphantly thought that she could roll with this.

"Do you even know how to use that thing dumb-ass?" She quirked, walking in his direction purposefully, the scared group of civilians darting their anxious eyes between the gun-holder and the door, wondering if they could make it out before pimple face noticed.

None of them risked it though, they just huddled closer and watched the fearless Videl Satan walk almost casually, with an alluring sway to her step towards the pimple faced goon pointing a gun at her.

"Shoot the cunt Merv!" Vulgar mouth yelled angrily at his comrade, glaring at the woman behind the teller darkly, "Ye better not stop you fucking whore, keep shoving them bills in there if ye know what's good for ye!" He turned his yelling back to the teller.

Videl scowled at his choice of words, but kept her eyes glued to pimple face with the gun as she swayed her hips towards him

"...y-ya b-better s-s-stop or I'll shoot y-ye. I'll put 'em bullet's right throu'ye" pimple face frantically stammered with the gun shaking in the palm of his hand.

"...oh?" Videl said as she raised her brow. "...but the safety's on..." She bluffed, and that was all the time she needed, because as soon as his eyes widened, falling from his target to check the weapon, Videl immediately kicked him across the face and watched as he went flying.

Satisfied with her handy work, she swiped her hands up and down triumphantly, as she stared at the unconscious goon. Now, she was ready to deal with vulgar mouth over there. She was more than ready to lay it into his jaw, hopefully shut him up for good

She suddenly felt a lock around her neck.

"Glurkglurk " she choked, but the goon only tightened his forearm; forcing her neck to tilt up as he brought his face next to hers.

"You're good with your legs" he smoothly whispered against her ear. She cringed at the pungent odor of his foul breath, and the musty feel of his sweaty damp clothes." An athletic girl like you, could really demonstrate a thing or two about..._stretching_" he snickered, making Videl turn green from the vile smell. Gross! Was the only word that came to mind. If this crook had a wife or a girlfriend, she would personally donate breath-mints and antiperspirant to them. _Poor woman! He's disgusting!_

Gohan scowled at the scene from his place in the ceiling. He was floating horizontally with his arms folded, curiously observing the scene. She seemed to have been fairing well enough, but now, she appeared to be out of ideas. The bald one, the one she had dealt with first, groggily clamoured to his feet, reaching for his gun. He clasped his hands around it and took a deep breath, as if convincing himself that he could do this, before he pointed the gun directly at her chest, as the other, the big hairy and smelly one, held her in a firm lock. Something about his grin didn't sit well within the pits of his stomach. In fact a dreadful feeling raced throughout his entire body

Gohan decided that he had seen just about enough. He swooped in, appearing right before baldy's eyes, bending the nuzzle of the gun, and then rendering it useless. Baldy stared; eyes widening to show his apparent shock. As gently as he could, Gohan smacked him across the cheek and sent him flying. He instantly connected against the solid wall with his side profile, the side of his face making a crunching sound as if hit first, a small spatter of blood and saliva making a home on the white paint as his face slid down the wall until he collapsed at the bottom.

Videl, eyes blazing in fury and disgust, gritted her teeth at his intrusion and lifted her foot into the air. She rammed it down hard; effectively stomping on big-hairy's foot as her arm pushed forward to quickly cock back. She then jabbed him with her elbow that swiftly smashed in the kidneys. Big-hairy let out a grunt as he staggered back, allowing Videl to remove herself from his hold. She clasped her hands together; her slender fingers intertwining as if in preparation for prayer, before she lifted them into the air and rained them down upon his head.

He was out cold.

_Looks like she didn't need my help after-all_, Gohan observed, but of course, he had spoken too soon.

Vulgar mouth had moved away from his shouting antics to arm himself with an RPG-7 already perched expertly on his shoulder. When Gohan turned around to face him, he didn't hesitate, he launched his weapon, immediately jerking as the rocket experienced a friction fit, sending the warhead hurtling towards the teen and Videl behind him. Videl's eyes semi-widened, but she opted to close them instead, bracing herself for death.

The huddled group could only stare in horror at the smoke trail traveled to the target, leaving behind a very visible launch signature as it hit. There was a small flash, followed by a very dark gray explosive cloud.

The gasps from the huddled group forced her to open her eyes, only to gasp as well at the sight of this intruder, with the detonated warhead grenade caught between his hands and his dirty soot covered face turned into a scowl that sent chills up and down even iher/i spine.

_That's impossible! How did he do that?_

Vulgar mouth quivered, backing away from the monster; but at last, one of the security guards who had spent the better part of the robbery cowering, suddenly grew a pair and promptly reached for one of the fallen guns and hit the robber at the back of his head. Vulgar mouth went crashing down to the floor, saving Gohan the trouble of doing it himself.

"Thank-you Mister, you really " he began to say, but Gohan shot out the door before he could finish.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Videl ran out after him, but by the time she had actually made it to the base of the stairs, the intruder was gone.

_I guess she must be a good person right? I mean, she was risking her life to save others, so that makes her a good person right? Good people don't plot to assassinate a pregnant woman right? Good people wouldn't stab someone in the back if they gave them their trust right?_ His slightly less than stable thoughts ran through his head as he glided through the air, heading back to school.

He cursed at the state he was in. He needed a bath, and he didn't have time to go to the stream near his little temporary hideout. It was a bit far out.

Flying around the city, he was about to give up and go home, until he spotted a snazzy building with a rather elaborate roof-garden. _Perfect!_

He touched down right by the tap and hosed himself down, praying that someone like the resident gardener wouldn't come up and catch him. Satisfied that he was clean, he ki-dried himself off and shoveled through his bag for something to wear.

He cursed again, when he pulled out his shirt from earlier, only to realize that he had torn it in his haste to get it off of his body.

_Joy._

Luckily the life of an aimless wanderer as he had become over the last six years, made sure that one always had the necessary supplies on their self in case he never returned to the same spot again.

_Great._

All he had was the dark blue undershirt of his father's gi. One of the few things he had actually kept after raiding his old home in the mountains a few years back.

He took a few minutes to put the t-shirt on, feeling like a phony, as he slipped into the clothes of a great man; while he had not only killed that great man, but had failed to save his mother and brother when they had only been but a foot away from his reach.

_I'm a good person though, right? I saved the world, that has to count for something, right?_ He zoomed back to school.

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><p>His hideout wasn't much, but he was comfortable, so that's all that mattered. He opted for a thatched roof in the tree-house for the moment because it was cool in the summer and without any running electricity or even wiring to hook up a generator; looting an air-conditioning unit wouldn't do him any good. Still, thatched roof or not, it was a hot night and after roasting a wild pig for dinner, he had settled for bed outside under the stars to enjoy the night breeze on his hammock as it swung below the huge tree that he had built his tree-house on.<p>

"AHH!" He suddenly yelped, as he felt himself flying and then coughing. He woke up to find himself soaking wet and face first into the shallow stream.

He immediately leapt to his feet, automatically assuming his fighting stance as his eyes quickly adjusted in the pitch darkness of night.

"P-Piccolo?" He stammered, shocked

"Just like old times, ha kid?" The looming figure of the tall Namekian towered over him, something about the night, made him seem larger than he really was.

"What the hell Piccolo! How did you even find me?" Gohan exclaimed; his momentary shock immediately giving way to anger and deep irritation. He had gone to great lengths to make sure that he would not be found!

"Pft" Piccolo scoffed. "I don't know why I haven't been able to sense you lately, but that light-show you put on today, blazing your super-saiyan aura, screaming and flipping in the air; did not go unnoticed on the Lookout." Piccolo coolly said; clearly un-phased by the rude welcome from his former student

Gohan stepped out of the stream, annoyed as he raised his ki just high enough to dry himself off. "Don't you and Dende have anything better to do than to spy on me?" He muttered bitterly. He had worked hard on his device and had even stolen from Bulma for it. Yet here he was in the dead of night, watching over him just like he always had.

"Not really, no," was Piccolo's terse response.

"Well, if you came here looking for an explanation or a thank-you, for all those times you left food and clothing for me, then think again, because you're not gonna get it!" he snapped, even though he felt a pang of guilt from being so cold to his mentor as he climbed back into his hammock.

"So...something finally instilled some grit into you then? Good. Better this than the sniveling little brat I first took after your dear old uncle's appearance" said Piccolo, something in his tone screaming pride, which aggravated Gohan even more since he really wanted to repel the taller alien.

"What do you want Piccolo? Doubt you came all the way out here to insult me. And you better make it quick though, I need my sleep, got school tomorrow," Gohan sluggishly yawned.

"Well, since you've finally done something constructive with your life for a change, I thought I'd bring you some news," Piccolo replied as he kept a cool and steady tone.

"Pft. Constructive," Gohan scoffed. "I just enrolled in school. It's what mom would have wanted, so it's no big deal," Gohan dismissed.

"I'm not talking about school, I'm talking about your exploits at the bank today," came the unexpected response.

Gohan instantly cocked his head up to Piccolo, his brow furrowing in irritation. "What are you, my shadow now? How come I didn't sense you spying on me?"

"You forget that I was once Kami of this planet. The Lookout is more than just a pretty sight. You know I can find anyone I want on the planet if I use the right means."

"Great. Just great." Gohan snapped back before continuing in a stoic matter, "It was no big deal. I was just bored and happened to be in the vicinity, so I took out the bad guys what's it to you?"

"It shows me that you haven't become a complete waste of space over the years," his mentor truthfully replied.

"Well then. Consider me notified, now if you don't mind," he stated before turning on his side to face away from him; shutting his eyes dismissively.

Piccolo stood there watching him a few seconds, contemplating his next move. The silence stretched between them.

_Why can't you stop caring about me Piccolo? Can't you see that I'm not worth it? I'm not worth anything? I exist only to find those that did this to my family. Once I've taken care of them, they'll really be no reason to keep on going. It doesn't make me a bad person right? I'm a good person. I saved the world._

"Have it your way," Piccolo quietly said to break the silence. "I've wasted enough time here. Silly me, for thinking you'd actually be interested in the identities of those responsible for your mother's death." He sarcastically stated, as he was already in the air flying away.

In a flash, Gohan was already in his face.

"What. Did. You. Just. Say?" He all but snarled as his eyes narrowed.

"Hmm" Piccolo scoffed, folding his arms. "I thought you were so tired, you could barely keep your eyes open, let alone have a conversation."

"If you know something, you better start talking" Gohan growled as his mouth turned upside down to a defiant scowl.

"Or what?" Piccolo calmly eyed him, as if he was unfazed by Gohan's threatening demeanor.

"You think you know me Piccolo? Is that it? You think that just because you took a hit for me all those years ago, that it means something? Well, tell you what, you might have taken a hit for me but since you did put a hole through my father's chest, let's just call it even, shall we?" Gohan bitterly stated his eyes narrowing as he glared upon Piccolo.

"Try your intimidation tactics on your new little school friends Gohan, I'm done here." Piccolo said indifferently, just before flying off into the night sky.

"I'm warning you." Gohan shot off at incredible speed to appear right before Piccolo as he floated right before him; blocking his way.

Piccolo just stared back with a stoic expression "Go ahead, do your worst. That's what you've been up to these last few years right? Flying around randomly, stealing, and making your silly little toys. Have you even bothered to see your grandfather? Do you even know that his heart gave out from despair a few days ago?" Piccolo bluntly stated. He chose to deliver the news without ceremony. If Gohan wanted to play hard-ball, he was more than ready to roll with it.

The sudden gasp that erupted from Gohan's mouth, coupled with the fact that his heart rate quickened was all the answer Piccolo needed.

"Thought as much. If you even bothered to keep up with world events, you would know that since _'The Missing Prince'_ was never found," Piccolo said as he spat out the title with much distaste. He continued by simply saying, "When your grandfather dies, and die he will soon, the whole of the East District and all the neighboring islands that fall under his Kingdom will squabble for leadership and bring the nations to war"

His eyes were strongly fixated on the young wanderer as he frankly claimed in his next words "...but of course, you've become so self-centered in these past few years that you thought the assassination was just about _you_, just another random occurrence to spite _you_. Fine. Carry on as you are, don't even bother saying your good-bye's to your ailing grandfather, let his legacy burn to the ground, what do I care? I _did_ put a hole in your father's chest after-all, right?"

Piccolo flew around Gohan to shoot off into the night once again. But this time, Gohan didn't move even an inch stop him. In fact, he remained in the same spot long after Piccolo's ki disappeared. He hadn't felt this bad in...he didn't know how long, since, well, he had kind of just existed aimlessly for the last six years. Piccolo had taken him by complete surprise, he had been sure that his little trinket would keep everyone from the past at bay, but...damn Piccolo and his incessant meddling.

He knew that gratitude was what he really owed his old mentor since he was certain that Piccolo had been the one to look out for him all those times he had found himself passing out. The clean and new clothes, the occasional sword or knife, some food here, drink there...he sighed, the shock of the news about his grandpa was like a iron clamp on his heart; weighing it down as it put an unnecessary strain in his chest.

All these years, he had never stopped to think about his grandfather. He had just taken off in a blind hysterical fury, roaming the earth, thinking only of keeping himself hidden.

_"It...is...too...late...to...save...me...but...Go...ten..." She hissed, the boys tears continued to fall down his face. "Sa..ve...Got...en..."_

His heart bled at the memory of his mother's dying words. He had been unable to take it, any of it: the cameras, the blood, the horror; leaving was the only choice he had. Leaving and hunting down the bastard that did this. He had rationalized that he did it to find those responsible for the atrocity of that day, but...thinking back...what had he really done to look for those responsible?

Piccolo was right, the only decent or useless thing he had done since that day, was help that Satan girl at the bank.

He curled his fingers into a fist and pounded his temple. Stupid. Useless. Selfish. Worthless. He kept pounding, until his forehead started throbbing in pain.

_I'm a good person right? I mean, I saved the world. Everyone on this planet owes me their life. I'm a good person right? Even though I wasn't there to bury my mother. Even though I abandoned my grandfather. I'm a good person right? Right?_

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><p>"Heeee " Ox King wheezed as he clutched his chest in fright, when he opened his eyes to find two dark orbs dancing in the night and staring down at him. "Heeee " he shakily tried to sit-up, shocked and slightly worried that an assasin had found a way into the palace, despite having had tightened up security since<p>

"No. No. No. Relax grandpa it's me. It's me. It's Gohan." a gentle voice said that he couldn't quite recall. But it was something within his eyes. And he knew then and there who it was that had snuck up on him in the night.

"G-Gohan?" he stammered weakly as tears seemed to cloud his eyes, making the sight before him blurry.

The soft loving gaze of his grandfather made him feel the guilt of his abondonment a thousand times. He found himself choking up in the face of this undeserved acceptance and love.

"It's me grandpa, it's really me," Gohan shakily replied. He found that his voice couldn't stay steady, not in the face of the frailty that was now his always large and boisterous grandpa.

"I-I I knew you'd come." the large man softly said as a weak smile came played across his lips. He then slowly, and with great difficulty, moved his hand so he could touch and squeeze Gohan's.

"Oh grandpa " Gohan stifled back a sob.

"The throne is ready for you Prince Oxander Mao "

"I-I can't grandpa, I-I just I'm no good, I can barely take care of myself, I'm no use to anybody right now "

Ox King took in a long breath and closed his eyes, keeping his hold on his grandson's hand firm.

"Y-you m-must go to Vegeta t-then. He'll know what to do " Ox King relented.

"V-Vegeta!" Gohan raised his voice in shock "Grandpa, what does Vegeta have to do with anything, I-I don't want to be found."

"He came here after you disappeared. he was personally investigating the assassination."

"He WHAT?" Gohan barely shrieked, as he tried to keep his voice down from the evident surprise he just got. For his grandfather to confess on his death-bed that he was secretly a transvestite would have shocked him less than this news.

"The mate of a Saiyan, and a saiyan child. He said it was his duty as Prince to put the matter right, since you'd run off "

Gohan could only stare, and swallow at this shocking revelation. Vegeta had come here all those years ago? He had conversed with his grandpa? And he had come looking to avenge his mother and un-born brother?

"D-did he?" he stammered weakly. _Is this what you wanted to tell me tonight Piccolo? That not only did you know the identities of those responsible, but that Vegeta had already taken care of them?_

"Y-you m-must seek Vegeta, tonight." he took another deep breath "Heeee ." he clutched his chest again, furiously coughing and cringing as if the action caused him pain. Gohan felt his bottom lip tremble; his eyes beginning to sting. He quickly reached over to the bedside table and frantically offered some of the water that was left there for the King. But the king's eyes had diverted elsewhere, gazing upon the ceiling and disregarding Gohan's shaking hand that held onto the glass.

"P-promise me " the Ox King mumbled.

"Grandpa, just drink the water. You'll be okay." Gohan said. His words sounding rushed. Heart beating in his chest.

He paid no attention to the gentle words Gohan just spoke. He was drifting off somewhere else as he softly wheezed, "Promise me "

The Ox king gave the trembling man's hand a firm squeeze as one small smile played across his face. He then slumped back with his eyes cast heavenwards.

Silence overtook the room. Even the crickets failed to utter a sound as Gohan stared at his grandpa steadily holding the glass, and one of his hands.

He moved the glass forward; his hand causing the water to slightly spill from it.

"Grandpa. Come on just drink it." Gohan said.

"Grandpa." Gohan called again, water filling up his eyes. Liquid continuously spilling from the glass.

Silence echoed throughout the room. Until

"Grandpa!" Gohan shrieked, instantly throwing the glass of water across the room as he frantically went to shake his grandpa.

"No, No . Please Grandpa." Gohan stuttered, his voice shattering like the glass by each word that fell from his lips. Gohan pulled the man up, wrapping his arms around his head to pull it to his chest.

"I-I promise grandpa. I promise, okay," he whispered.

"I-I promise grandpa Please. Just please don't die on me." Gohan begged; tears gradually flowing down his face as he rocked back and forth with his grandpa in his arms. His heart began to ache. Sadness devoured his entire body, overwhelming him with hopeless that accompanied this darkness that overshadowed his broken heart. His grandpa His grandpa who he loved dearly, whom he had abondoned six years ago, had just died in his arms. Now, what was he supposed to do?

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><p>"Well, well, well " Vegeta remarked as he stared out the window. They had been sleeping when they were woken up by an incessant taping. Vegeta climbed out of bed, ready to blast whichever insufferable creature it was that was making the noise, when he came face to face with a ghost from the past. "If it isn't the missing prince"<p>

"What?" Bulma leapt from her bed, rushing to the window.

She clasped her hand over her mouth, momentarily stunned. He was grown up for sure, but she'd recognize those eyes anywhere!

"G-Gohan " she breathed, not sure if her heart could take it. She reached for the window and opened it, allowing the disheveled teen to slip in. He was in terrible shape. He had obviously been crying. His hair looked slightly un-kept and his clothes definitely creased, but he was alive and well and hear and she couldn't stop herself from throwing herself in his arms.

"G-Gohan you crazy kid, you had me all worried, you hear me, you had me all worried" she sobbed and pounded her fist into his chest.

"So brat" Vegeta folded his arms, glaring at the boy " to what do we owe this unexpected intrusion."

"I grandpa's um grandpa died " he stilled his heart from the shock and pain of it " he um said I should come here, that "

"I see " Vegeta cut him off, turning away from him. "So it's time then and the brat is still too young " he muttered

"What are we gonna do Vegeta! He's still too young!" Bulma stormed to her cupboard and pulled out a robe. She was only in her nightgown after all. "And those assassins are still out there!"

"Calm down woman, I told the old fool that I would take care of the brat, and I will, even if he has to be announced sooner than we had planned." He placed steady hands on Bulma's shoulders.

"Um could someone tell me what's going on please " Gohan softly questioned.

"Come with me brat" Vegeta commanded, as he made his way out the bedroom, with Bulma following behind. Gohan didn't really know what was going on. Did they want to lead him into a trap and keep him against his will?

"Brat!" Vegeta yelled, causing Gohan to jump and forcing him to follow.

They walked down a few passages and stopped outside a purple painted door.

"Shh" Bulma put her finger against her lips to indicate that he should be quiet as they entered.

A soft night-light was on in the room, making the glow warm and inviting. Gohan felt all the breath leave him as he stared at the familiar face of the sleeping child.

His blood turned to ice.

_"It...is...too...late...to...save...me...but...Go...ten..." She hissed, the boys tears continued to fall down his face. "Sa..ve...Got...en..."_

"H-How?" his voice came out weak and thick and filled with dread

"If you had stuck around long enough, you might have been there to hold your brother when he was brought into this world from the womb your deceased mother!" Vegeta spat.

"Shh!" Bulma stomped her foot, glaring daggers at the prince.

"I'm just telling it like it is" Vegeta stoically replied as he lowered his voice.

"Only the surgeon and your grandpa know about him" was Bulma's way of clearing things up.

"B-But she she was dead " he found himself gravitating closer and closer to the bed, onyx eyes falling on the angelic face, his fingers twitching, desperately wanting to touch the soft bangs of hair that had fallen in his face.

"When Vegeta went to see your grandfather about doing his own investigation he he entrusted him in his care. To keep him as a secret from those that would try to have him assassinated, at least until they were found."

"H-He looks just like "

"Kakarot. How observant you've become," Vegeta stated as he rolled his eyes.

"Be nice Vegeta." Bulma scolded him.

"Look woman, while he was out there doing "

Young Goten suddenly opened his sleepy eyes, sitting up when he saw the people crowding in his room.

"Mom, dad who's this?" he asked as he yawned and rubbed his eyes.

Gohan's heart dropped to his stomach.

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><p>AN: This amazing chapter has been brought to by **gue22** with the assistance of **Saiyajin-Love** of **TeamDragonStar**. Hope you all enjoyed, please review and tell us what you thought :D


	5. Brother

**Brought to you by Gue22 and Saiyajin-Love**

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><p><em>I have a brother.<em>

The thought echoed within his head. Even though it had been days after blasting himself out of Bulma's roof from shock and pain and…all things in between, Gohan still couldn't get that knowledge out of his mind.

_I have a brother._

The droopy eyed, angelic face that was an exact copy of his father's haunted his every waking moment, his dreams even worse.

"Goten" he tested the name out on his tongue.

"Go where?" Erasa whispered in his direction. It was the last period for the day, and the students were more than just a little anxious to escape the four walls encasing them for a bout of fresh air and gossip.

"Nowhere, never mind" he dropped his eyes back to the book in front of him.

He had walked around school like a zombie in the days following his discovery, a part of him ashamed that he hadn't even said one word to his brother after learning of his existence, even as a part of him felt outraged that his own flesh and blood thought of Bulma and Vegeta as his parents.

He tried to focus on the day's lesson, but no matter what the fine print read, the black letters just seemed to morph into the shape of his brother's face.

The end of the lesson couldn't have come faster. He was amongst the first to exit the classroom, disappointed that he had to stick around the school premises for the so called extra-curricular activities.

He found a secluded bench and decided to have a lie down. His back was against the stiff wood as his backhand rested across his eyes to shield them from the sun. The sun's rays seemed to be taunting him. They were bright and joyous, bringing life to everything it shined upon. It occurred to him that even when the thunderstorms clouded the sky, the sky and its miserable rays, always found a way to overcome it. It would always shine once again, bringing good'ol life to everything.

Life. It was painful, wretched, and full of unwanted surprises. How he wished it could all end so he could be done with this anxiety and stress devouring his mind alive every single second of the day. He would be able to think again then. To actually concentrate. To function, and not drag his feet each waking moment.

What was his purpose right now? Why was he alive? He hadn't even caught the assassins! And his… Nope. He couldn't even utter the word anymore. It would cause his mind to overflow again as he was sure that the words would echo.

It was a waste of time to keep the word from his tongue though, because regardless of his efforts, the image of him sleeping soundly in the bed, would race back to his fragile mind.

Gohan deeply inhaled and exhaled, letting his cluttered thoughts out with his disturbed sigh. Just what was his purpose? And why hasn't he been living up to it?

* * *

><p>"What's eating you?" Videl observed the sour mood of the usually vibrant and bubbly Katia, notorious for her outspoken nature, Ms Captain of the debating team.<p>

"I just hate people that think that debating is a goofing off club!" she huffed, her blue curls bouncing like springs in front of her.

"I thought you guys were doing great?" Videl eyed her curiously as she sipped her soda through a straw.

"We're doing fine, but that new guy that signed up, urgh, hasn't shown up even once, not once I tell you! It's irritating because I had assigned him something to research for our next debate, only for him to not only not do it, but to not even bother showing up." she contorted her face angrily.

"The new kid, Go something right?" Videl felt a mission coming on. She wasn't one for debating, drama, or newspaper, she found them too soft, but…she still hated it when people didn't pull their weight.

"He just lies on the bench until it's time to go home, why did he sign up, if he wasn't interested in participating. Urgh, anyway V, I gotta go. I have an argument to prepare and I'm short on one section of my research!" The clutched the numerous articles she was holding under her arm and stormed off.

"Hmm, new kid thinks he can get away with messing with Katia?" she pumped her fist, "We'll just see about that." She put her soda down and walked purposefully towards the bench

* * *

><p><em>What did Piccolo mean? What did Piccolo mean? I have to know what he meant! <em>Gohan let the same thought run through his head.

"Hey! Umm…Darn, what's your name again?" a feminine voice said before a thud against the bench caused it to vibrate.

"Yeah, that's it! Gohen, I have a bone to pick with you!" the voice called again as another thud sent vibrations to the bench.

Gohan squeezed his eyes tighter as he moaned, "Go away."

"What the… I'm not going anywhere! You have some explaining to do!" The persistent voice rang out again, as a hand touched his, slinging it off his face so the sun rays burned and blinded him.

Frustrated beyond belief by this dummy bothering him, Gohan opened his eyes and quickly sat straight up to yell in their face, "What!"

He met startled aqua blue eyes of Videl Satan, which soon held daggers as they fell into slits.

"Don't what me! Who do you think you are? Do you think you can just ditch the debating team and lounge around here on a bench like it's a bed? Huh? You think you can get away with wasting your life away and act like it's not a problem?" her voice got louder as she went on. "Well I have news for you buddy it is! I wouldn't even care if you set here and rotted, if in your selfishness you were the only one suffering. But the debating team is put out because of you, they assigned you a task, which you haven't done," she glared disapprovingly at him, "and now you're going to give me some answers as to why you haven't done it!"

_Wasting…Suffering….Answers…_

These three words flooded his mind, drowning out Videl's rant and filling him with comprehension.

Wasting, is what he was doing. After all these years he had not amounted to anything. He was not any closer to the truth in any way.

Suffering…He _was_ suffering. He would toss and turn in his sleep. He couldn't focus right now. He had all these emotions that dwelled within his heart, tightening his chest each time he breathed.

Answers… that's what he craved and desired more than anything. It would assuage the suffering. It would mean, he wasn't really wasting away his life.

Right now, he needed to cease just sitting around and complaining about his life when he wasn't doing a damn thing to fix it. Oh, it took him some time for the past few days but he finally realized that he definitely had a purpose right now.

To find those wretched assassins and make them pay for all they've done.

"Hey, you're ignoring me again aren't you?" Videl angrily shouted as her vein visibly pulsated on the side of her forehead to display her irritation.

"No, I'm not. I heard you loud and clear. And I thank you for your harping, but we have to continue this another time. I have some important business to attend to." Gohan said, with a small barely visible, smile.

"Harping? Who said I was…." Videl began to say, but it was no use. Gohan was already sprinting off in the direction of the school gate. And god's be damned, the boy was running faster than anything she had ever seen, leaving an infuriated yet baffled Videl behind.

* * *

><p><em>"Have it your way," Piccolo quietly said to break the silence. "I've wasted enough time here. Silly me, for thinking you'd actually be interested in the identities of those responsible for your mother's death." He sarcastically stated, as he was already in the air flying away.<em>

'But I am interested Piccolo. What did you mean?' Gohan thought, as he allowed his ki to soar and engulf him, just so he could reach his destination much faster.

In no time, his feet touched the base of the lookout as his eyes met his long time mentor who appeared unfazed by his arrival

"To what do I owe the honor of having royalty step afoot the lookout?" Piccolo caustically asked, without any sign of a kind welcoming. "If you've come to pick a fight, now is not the time. I don't feel like dealing with the incessant whining of a brat."

"I didn't come here to pick a fight with you Piccolo. You said you had news about the assassins, I've came here to collect."

"Oh, so that's how you ask for assistance now after blaming everyone but yourself for your problems. What's with the change of heart?"

Gohans' eyes diverted down as he sighed before saying, "I realized that, I can't sit around and mope; especially when the assassins have not been caught. Even if there's no possible way for them to know about Goten; if there's the slightest chance that they'll find out and try to do him harm…" His eyes looked up, holding a blazing defiance as he certainly said, "I want to crush it by all costs. I've lost so much already, and I'll be damned if I lose him."

Piccolo stared at him. His eyes looked into the dangerous fire that danced within Gohan's dark eyes, its irrepressible flames ready to engulf any and everything whole that tried to hinder his current goal. Piccolo's forehead creased as his eyes slightly narrowed, before a half smirk threatened to come across his face.

"Hmph. Nice to see that spirit back. Haven't seen it since the cell games." Piccolo stated as he turned around and headed towards the lookout's building.

Gohan befuddled at first by Piccolo's response, strolled behind him.

* * *

><p>"I don't understand Piccolo," Gohan stared at the giant pendulum swinging to and fro, to and fro with his feet firmly planted on the shimmering star enclosed in a circle.<p>

"You don't know about this room?" Piccolo quirked his brow.

"Err…should I?"

Piccolo ignored him, choosing instead to get on with the matter at hand. "Prepare yourself Gohan, your mind is about to be transported back to the day of the assassination."

"Wait a minute, what?" he stared wide eyed at his mentor.

"Try to remember that whatever you see, whatever you do, you cannot change what has already happened. Try to observe and not…get caught up. Understand?"

"I-I…this is it, isn't it, the room that Krilin told me about, the one that took them to Vegetasei to practice against those saiyans." Realization suddenly dawned on him.

"Yes. And now, it will take you back to the day of the assassination. Keep your eyes open kid, not your heart. The past cannot be changed, remember that, even Trunks wasn't able to alter the outcome of his own past." Piccolo placed a hand on his shoulder, ever so lightly, before he stepped away from him.

Gohan gulped, but nodded. This was it. He was finally going to see with his own eyes the ones that had done this to his family. His eyes hardened as he prepared himself.

Little did he know, that this eye opener would only be the beginning.

* * *

><p>"How dare he just ignore me like that!" A highly pissed off Videl mumbled as she kicked a can around in the park. Sure the new kid had seemed miserable and lonely in the past few days, but she was not sympathetic. In fact, she couldn't care in the least at whatever ghosts had him down. She only wanted to know what his problem was so he'd stop walking around school like a zombie and bringing everyone's mood down with his depressing and lazy attitude. No one forced him to sign up for debating, he had to carry his damn weight. She just hated people that expected others to carry their weight for them.<p>

"And then the way he left!" Videl muttered as she used all her might to kick the can far away from her. "Ughhh!" Videl groaned as she crossed her arms.

"Excuse me Miss." A voice said simultaneously with a tap on her shoulder. "You seemed to have dropped this can. It's not good to litter."

A scowl made its way right to her mouth. This is exactly what she needed right now; a goody two shoes bothering her when she had more important things to be concerned about! It wasn't like she was going to forget the freaking can, so why bother her! And she just hated when someone tapped her on the shoulder!

Without looking him in the face, Videl swiftly turned around to snatch the can out of his hand and then she turned back around and returned to her thoughts.

"When I see him next time, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!" Videl mumbled as she crushed the can in her hand before tossing it into the trash bin. She was about to resume her walk until she felt another tap on her shoulder.

Hmm…This person was getting on the last bit of nerves she had today.

Videl let out an annoyed sigh before calmly saying, "Sir. I've thrown it away, so if you would please leave me alone." She then got ready to take a step forward, but he tapped her shoulder once more.

Oh, he was just asking. No, **_begging_** for her to lose her cool.

With a glare set on her face, Videl swiftly turned around to snap, "Look here…" She gasped!

It was…It couldn't be! Those teal marble-like eyes. That golden-haired. "You!" Videl exclaimed her finger pointed accusingly at his chest.

"Heh, heh," the blonde nervously laughed as he scratched the back of his head.

"I don't see anything funny! You're another person I have a few questions for so you better get to talking!" Videl ordered.

"Another person?"

"He's.." Videl stopped. "Wait. No, you're not changing the subject on me. That doesn't matter right now. I need to know who you are, why did you help me in the bank, and how you were able to move like that!" Videl stated as she displayed the number of things she wanted answered, on her hand.

"Wow. That's a lot of information and demands from someone who happened to save your life and your pockets for that litter you just threw on the ground."

Darn it. He was right. Instead of questioning him like this, she should've been thanking him. But she wasn't in the mood to bow down; especially since she had been pissed off for the past hour.

"Hey, don't even try to make me feel guilty. You can't waltz in saving someone and leave without telling them something about yourself! That's more wrong than anything!" Videl retorted.

Gohan sighed. He really didn't have time for this. "Oh. You're _so _right. And let's make a deal. I will tell you everything you want to know but in exchange I need you to help me."

"What do you mean help you? I hope you're not into any bad business. You know I'm a crime fighter." Videl replied as her eyebrows furrowed upon her forehead.

He about smacked himself in the head for how difficult she was being. Instead he forced himself to say in a kind manner, "No, I'm not. In fact, you being a crime fighter and connected with the police is the reason why I have come to you." He paused to look at Videl. She didn't look the least bit interested but her eyes told another story as it burned with curiosity.

"I need you to use your connections and help me find the assassins who killed someone, someone very dear to me" he said. He could have used the vast resources of Capsule Corp. but…he was still hiding his ki, he didn't want to be found and he definitely wasn't ready to face his brother again.

"What?" a shocked Videl exclaimed. "When did this happen? Why haven't you gone to the police?"

He just stared at her and cocked his head slightly to the side, giving her the "really" look.

It hit Videl soon. "Oh… Well I'm not really the law. And I don't know how I can help you."

"I just need you to search the police's database and match this with something." He stated as he dug inside the flaps of his gi belt to pull out a symbol on the paper. Videl eyed it as she accepted the slip. "I know for a fact that, that is the symbol he was wearing. But with using the regular resources, I can't find out what it means. Also if you flip the back, I've given a full description of him, including the dimensions of his body."

Videl examined the symbol and flipped the sheet over to look at what he had written down. Her eyes then went back up to his.

"Can you assist me in identifying this man Ms Satan? And then afterwards I will tell you everything you need to know. But as of right now, I can't. I need to keep everything hidden until I find him and bring justice to the one he so ruthlessly murdered" the sudden change in his tone gave her slight shivers, but she was Videl Satan and she wasn't easily rattled.

She didn't know the details of what had happened but, if this information could lead to a potential arrest, if it could help put away a murder then so be it. So in a quiet voice she said, "Okay. I'll help. After all you saved my life. But you at least have to tell me your name."

"It's Saiya" He replied, offering her his hand.

"Nice to meet you Saiya," Videl outstretched her own hand and shook his. "Well then, come along. Let's get down to the police station and figure this out." Videl said with a smirk.

She tossed out a capsule, which was followed by a loud boom and a cloud of grey smoke, before the appearance of a helicopter. The duo climbed in, strapped on their safety belts and took off.

…


	6. Mysteries and tattoos

Team Dragon Star does not own anything DBZ related

**Brought to you by, Vira, Sailor, Zi and Gue**

Chapter 6

The noise of the helicopter's blades made a buzzing sound as it flew steadily towards the police station. Gohan sat in the passenger seat, as stiff as a board and as quiet as a mouse. He felt nervous and tense, more so than he had felt in a very long time. But the truth was, he also felt excited. This trip, with this annoying blabber mouth of a girl, was going to take him that much closer to discovering what he desired the most - to keep his brother safe, by finding the ones that took their beloved mother away from them.

Curling his fingers at a lack of something better to do, he could feel it seeping through to his blood. Should he really be allowing this feeling of excitement and happiness to filter through? No, that didn't seem right to him. But, he was a good person though right? And good people were allowed to feel excited and happy once in a while, were they not? But what did it say about his so called goodness then? To be happy that he was finally getting close enough to kill? _I can't see why that would be good, even if they are murderers. Dad would be happy if he were sitting here. NO! He would just want justice, I shouldn't be happy about this, should I?_

"Here it is Saiya." The girl with the dark pigtails' voice interrupted him as she expertly landed her helicopter down to a small parking slot reserved for the precinct officers.

"Right." Gohan looked up from his lap, uncurling his fingers. He took a small peek out the window, secretly relieved that the ride had not been as long and as tedious as he had expected it to be. His thoughts had kept him busy, and frankly he was a little surprised that the girl beside him had been just as quiet as he. She had been so riddled with questions in the park, harping and lecturing and demanding, trying to pry this and that out of him that he had expected her to bombard him with a tirade of them the whole ride through. But, she had kept her thoughts to herself, she hadn't uttered a single word. He gently unclasped his seat belt, and followed the girl's lead out of the copter.

"Let's just go in and see what we can find out." She led the way into the building. Gohan followed after her quietly, careful to slow down his pace as he regarded her. There was a presence about her now that was demanding. As though, there was nothing more important than exactly what she was doing in this moment. They meandered their way through a few corridors, a few desks and a lot of greetings from the scatter of officers they came across. It didn't take long though; their destination was the large untidy office at the very end of the passage. The door was wide open and the lone occupant of the room sat behind a desk littered with paperwork.

"Chief, I need to access the criminal mainframe." Videl stepped inside and got straight to the point. Gohan noted how haughty and authoritative her voice was, as if she was used to simply snapping her fingers and getting her way. The chief looked up from his screen and took in the sight of his favorite crime fighter and smiled. "Anything you need Videl," he immediately rose to his feet. "Who's your friend? A new informant?" The chief barely looked at Gohan as he motioned for the pair to follow him. He led them out the office, back down the passage where they'd come, and took a sharp turn to the left. They stopped briefly outside a wide metallic door. The chief peeled open his eye and brought his face in to the small panel as if he was about to give it a kiss. A beep and a flash of light later, the scanner verified his identity and the wide metal made a click, as it slid open.

The room itself was rather large and chilly. The hum of the air-conditioning unit and the mainframe was audible in the background, and Gohan noted how clean and orderly this particular room was. It reminded him slightly of the facilities in Capsule Corp. but he quickly shut his mind from those thoughts; he didn't want to think of what else was there in Capsule Corp., in tiny adorable form, waiting on him to make things right.

"Here you go Videl. You know the drill. Our database is at your disposal." The chief patted her on the shoulder as she settled down before a flat screen monitor.

"Thanks chief. I'm looking for an insignia or a symbol, hopefully something will come up." Videl pulled out the piece of paper that Saiya had given her, and squinted her eyes.

"If it was ever scanned and filed, you'll find it, along with any information pertaining to it." The chief smiled, "good-luck Videl, just remember, if it leads to anything, let me know before you go charging off, okay?" the chief chuckled as he showed himself out.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Videl muttered under her breath as she typed in her password. She navigated herself through all the bullshit protocol until she reached the database she wanted. Smoothing down the piece of crinkled paper with her hands, she reached under the desk and placed it face down on a shiny slab. The scanner was quick and efficient; a few seconds later, the symbol danced bold and clear on the screen.

Suddenly, something warm tickled her neck. "So, this will find it then?" Gohan was leaning behind her, staring at the screen from behind her shoulder, his warm breath tantalizing the sensitive flesh behind her ear as he spoke in a deep quiet tone. Was she going crazy? Or was there a small hum or buzz or electricity or something, coming right off of him?

She cleared her throat, inching closer to the screen. Did personal space mean nothing to him? "Um…yeah. Let's give it a few minutes and let the program run its course. If anyone has ever used this symbol for anything suspicious or criminal, it'll be in here." Videl continued to stare at the screen, growing increasingly irritated and uncomfortable as the taller boy leaned in even closer behind her. She pressed her lips together hard, trying to be stern. So hard in fact, that they disappeared into her deep concentrated features.

"How long till you know something?" That warm sensation again, and seriously, what was up with him? Didn't anyone ever teach him to never creep up so close to a girl he hardly knew?

"Hmm...not sure yet, just sit tight." She spoke with a clipped tone.

_Is he cloaking some kind of vibrating device under his clothes? I swear there's some kind of silent buzz coming off of him._

A few solid minutes passed, with Videl feeling trapped by his presence. Lightly, her fingers drummed on the mouse, she didn't really need to do anything, but despite the chill in the overly air-conditioned room, she could feel herself being enveloped by a warm sensation radiating from him.

"How much longer?" Another warm vibration along her neck, sending a lone shiver down her back. It was more of a whisper this time, and Videl jumped to her feet.

"That's it buddy! I've had just about enough of you trying to invade my personal space. Now take a seat over there-" she pointed towards an empty chair, "and try, just try, to be patient alright? The database is searching as fast as it can." She snapped irritably.

Gohan immediately removed himself from her personal space. Gees, it's not like he was doing it on purpose, he was just so eager to get something, anything at all. He hadn't realized just how close he was getting to her. It's not his fault that she smelt so damn fruity either. What was she about anyway, did she rub kiwi's in her hair or something? He may have learned little in the past six years of his aimless wondering, but he knew from the past that girls or women got real prissy about their so called personal space.

Quietly, he folded his arms and took a seat as Videl settled back into hers. Every passing second felt like an hour, each revolution of the search was like an itch he couldn't reach. He had to make headway here. He just had to. If he had to go crawling to Bulma and her vast resources, he'd…he didn't even want to think about it. Instead, he settled to watch the dark haired girl as she continued to watch the screen.

He let his eyes wander freely, from the curvature of her neck to the top of her head, down to the pig-tails that hung at the base of her jaw. She really wasn't bad to look at. Hell, if he was being honest with himself, he'd freely admit just how much he had enjoyed the show she'd unknowingly provided him with that day at the bank. That behind, the way she swung those legs…

_Agh! What I am thinking? I don't have time for this_.

"Match!" she suddenly declared triumphantly, as she glided the mouse around a few times.

Gohan leapt from his chair, closing the space between them in less than a second."What did you find?" He tried to be casual, but his heart rate was a big betrayal.

"I'm printing the info. The search found one record of that symbol, also a tattoo. This may very well be what you're looking for."

_Is this it?_

He was standing there waiting for a piece of paper, one that may change everything forever.

He stood very still with his arms crossed as he tried to contain himself. The constant rhythm of the printer as it slowly began to edge out the piece of paper was like a loud drum in his ears.

_How slow is this damn thing?_ He curled his fingers. _This is taking too long!_

Impatiently, he began to tap his foot on the floor. At a snail's pace, a bit more paper edged through the open tray of the printer.

_This is it. This is the moment. I just know it. I just know that whatever is on that document will change things forever._

The printer spit out the remainder of the sheet and Gohan was quick to snatch it right up before Videl could even blink. His ki had been rising rapidly in anticipation, and as soon as his fingers made contact with the piece of paper, the flimsy white sheet ignited into flames, burning up and blackening, crumpling and disintegrating into black powder.

"!"

Videl's eyes widened. It took all her strength to push her chin up from the floor.

"!"

Gohan sweat dropped, scratching at his scalp. "Err…heh heh heh…oops?"

"Oops?" Videl reconfigured her wits. "Oops? Okay, that's it buddy. I'm not re-printing until I get some answers! Just what the heck are you?" She glared, trying, trying rather hard not to let the slight fear and intimidation she felt show through her façade. This boy had caught a missile with his bare hands the other day, and just when she had been trying to convince herself that that incident had to have it been some kind of trick that day, here he was, right before her very eyes with his fingers igniting paper into flames! Just what in god's name was he?

"Hmm..." Gohan pondered that question. "What am I?" He took a step towards her, turning his hands up-side-down-out, staring at the them as if in wonderment, the dark soot of the burnt paper still soiling them. "I'm lot's of things Videl." He stood right in-front of her. "A lot of very bad things," his voice deepened, the colour of his eyes fluctuating.

Videl took a step back, gulping at his choice of words, sweating at the electrifying buzz around him, and staring in awe at his eyes, their intensity and their indeterminate colour freezing her in place. Gohan immediately regretted his words when he saw the colour slowly seep out of her face. She was doing a fine job of hiding it, but there was no disguising the fact that she was scared of him. The last thing he wanted to be was a monster like Cell, eliciting fear by just his mere presence.

"But," he added quickly, "I'm also a good person, no matter what. I'm a good person, but I won't let your stubborn curiosity stand in the way of the answers I seek." He held her frightened gaze in an icy hold. "Sorry about the paper," he said as an after-thought. "I didn't mean to do that, just got a bit anxious, ya know?"

Videl trembled, even though his aura had done a good job of heating up the room. The efforts of the air-conditioning were no match against his freely unchecked transformed state.

"A re-print please." He stated, the look in his eyes leaving no room for argument. Well, a sane person who valued their life wouldn't have argued that is. But this was Videl Satan, and though she was frightened out of her boots, her exploits as a crime fighter had long since been dubbed as 'crazy' by the media. She would take her chances.

"F-First, an explanation as promised," she struggled not to stammer. "Please," she added, as an after-thought, the word leaving her mouth as a strangled breath.

Gohan's eyes darkened. He didn't have time for this. He had wasted six precious years moping around, six years he could have spent with his brother. He was out of time.

In a gust of wind, he blew right passed her and phased before the keyboard. _I don't have time to waste playing nice._ _I need these answers._

He grabbed the mouse as softly as he could, and tried to print, but the insufferable screen kept asking him for a password. He gritted his teeth and blew back to the stubborn girl.

"Print. It." It wasn't a request.

Videl set her mouth into a stubborn fine line, even as goose bumps began to erupt on the surface of her skin. She hadn't been mistaken about him, not only was he emitting some kind of strange energy, but he was…glowing now, his blonde hair stiffer than it had been just mere seconds ago.

"Now!"

Videl gasped, backing away, as the enraged demand sent a quake in the room. The chief would never forgive her if she let this psycho's temper damage this room. She was sure the data had back-up somewhere, but all this equipment…she would never hear the end of it from her father, who would no doubt have to fork out the cash to replace it.

Shakily, she stepped over to the keyboard and typed in her code. She gave the instruction to print, making sure to stay put, well clear of the psycho's path.

Once again, the printer was too slow for Gohan's liking, his impatient tapping with his foot had already make a crack in the floor. When the printed copy was finally spewed out, Gohan snatched it up again, careful not to ignite it again. His reading was faster than the ordinary human could process, and before Videl could even blink, the psycho Saiya had blasted his way through the roof, leaving chunks of debris cascading to the expensive equipment, the floor and the top of an enraged crime-fighters head.

"Saiya you psycho!" Videl seethed, screaming after his disappearing form. "Who do you think is going to pay for all this damage?" She shook her fist in anger, just as a barrage of officers came charging into the room, gaping in shock at the hole in the ceiling.

…

He sped through the air with the paper crumpled in his palm. It was a long shot that he was still living at that address, the arrest had been made just under six years ago, but it was the first solid lead he had, and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to take it. Unfortunately, his navigation skills in the city were not as fine tuned as they were in the wilderness, so he had to make a pit stop at his hide-out to retrieve one of his self-made gadgets. This one was going to be useful, it had a built-in gps.

With the precise coordinates, he zoomed at rocket speed to the dingy neighborhood on the outskirts of Satan City. Barking dogs, stray cats and scurrying mice went about their business in the sewage infested street. Gohan touched down, scrunching his nose at the not-so-pleasant-smell. His boots crunched down on strewn soda cans, rotting vegetables and other such waste on the deserted street. His target was two streets down, but he'd had to touch down here, as he'd detected no human kis.

It took him but a minute to turn two corners onto the correct street, but the way his heart was thumping wildly, the minute had felt like an eternity. He stormed the apartment building, practically gliding over the stairs to the top floor. The elevator was out of order, but it would have slowed him down anyway.

"Maybe if you got out and got a real job, you'd learn the value of money!" Gohan heard a feminine voice shouting from inside 6B. This was it. This was the last address recorded for Sopa Mews when he'd been arrested about six years ago. He did two years inside, released early for good behavior four years ago.

"For the last time Subby, I didn't gamble the rent. I was mugged." A masculine voice muttered under his breath.

Thump…Thump…

That voice, he had never heard it before, but on the spot, Gohan decided that it had to belong to Sopa, it just had to.

"Mugged my ass!" the female screeched, her shrill voice stopping all scurrying mice in the ceiling dead in their tracks. "You went down to Picky's and made a lousy bet, and now…I have to resort to turning tricks for him to make rent."

Gohan tried to calm his raging heart as he contemplated his move. Should he knock? Break the door down and barge in?

"Subby…," the masculine voice softened to a loving murmur, "I swear to you, I didn't gamble last night. I swear to you."

Gohan couldn't really read people as well as his father, but instinct told him that this guy was lying through his teeth.

"I wish," the feminine voice dropped to a defeated tone, "I wish I could believe you Sopa. I'm just tired of the same…Ahh…Ahh!" Subby screamed as the apartment door crashed in. Her eyes widened at the sight of the golden haired intruder. His eyes were focused on Sopa, and there was nothing friendly in them, what-so-ever.

"Who the…?" Soba reached behind his back and expertly pulled out a gun. With practiced skill he cocked it and aimed at right between the eyes of the intruder. He did not bat an eyelid, he did not tremble. His face was drawn in solid lines of concentration, his manner crisp and professional, a true testament to a professionally trained marksman."Just hold the fuck up, what the…who the hell?" he stared Gohan down angrily, cursing at the damage to his door. The land-lord wasn't going to like this, and Subby would have to pull in double tricks at Picky's to make up for this as well.

"Run," was the command Sopa heard the blonde intruder offer to his girl, ignoring him completely, as if he wasn't about to pump one in him right between the eyes. "Run, now!" Gohan barked harshly at the frightened Subby, he didn't know what he was about to do to this murderous low-life, but he definitely didn't want this girl here, getting caught in the middle of it.

"Hey, ass-hole! Stop looking at my girl. Do you think this is a toy I got here, I'll use this thing, make no mistake about it. Now, who the fuck are you and what the fuck are you doing at my-"

The next sound that came out of his mouth was a strangled gasp as his gun went sailing out of his hand. He very suddenly found himself shoved against the peeling wall in a rather violent manner. He tried to move but he couldn't, the intruder was pining him with a strong grip held against his throat. This was not good. Panicking, he shifted his gaze away from the cold teal of the intruder's eyes and made eye contact with Subby and mouthed 'run', but, his poor girl was frozen in panic at her spot. 'RUN,' he mouthed again, more animatedly, and with tears spilling onto her pale cheeks, Subby finally came out of her trance, nodded and ran.

Sopa visibly sighed in relief as her figure disappeared. Whatever this guy wanted, at least Subby was out of harm's way, for now…

"Sopa Mews," the intruder spat out his name like it was acidic. "Thirty-one years old, low-life and…murderer." The intruder sneered, his face dimpling in anger. "You were arrested for gang related activity six years ago, convicted for arson and assault and imprisoned in Satan Penitentiary for two years. They released you early for good conduct," he scowled at the very idea of this guy behaving himself. "You've been out for the last four years, enjoying a freedom that you don't deserve, and it's just my luck that you're still living in the same apartment as all those years ago. Did I miss anything?"

Sopa tried to speak, but his throat was too constricted, he couldn't get a single word out. His eyes blinked in a rapid panic when the intruder suddenly, and without ceremony gripped the buckle of his belt and ripped it off his body. His baggy jeans fell to the floor, and he definitely didn't like the way this blonde punk was eying his boxers. He tried to voice his protest, but he was still incapacitated. "There it is," the intruder smirked, and poked his finger just along his ardonis line. Sopa paled and cursed his sexy physique. He had avoided this for the two years he'd been held behind bars, there was no way in hell he was going to stand by and let this punk- "Tell me about this tattoo, I'm looking for a man who has the exact same one at the back of his neck." The intruder spat, and then dropped his hand from his constricted throat. Sopa sagged to the floor, panting.

"M-My…m-my tattoo?" he paled even more, if such a thing was possible. He would take a crazed rapist any day, not someone asking questions about…_him_. He had closed that chapter in his life a long time ago, and he never, ever wanted to re-open it again.

"The symbol, what does it mean?" The intruder glared at him darkly.

"N-Nothing, it's nothing at all, I just liked the design and picked it out."

"Liar," his eyes flickered.

"Look man," Sopa began to say rather shakily, but his sentence was cut short when the intruder began to form a ball of light from the palm of his hand. In a blink, he tossed it at his fridge. A bright light, and a boom later, and all that remained was…well…not much but smoke. He gulped and scooted away.

"Let's try that again shall we, the symbol?"

"Look man, look," he licked his lips nervously, his eyes darting between the psycho intruder and the disintegrated remains of his fridge. "I'd like to help you out here, I really would. But…he'll…he'll kill me man. Try to understand!" He pleaded and tried to scramble away on his hands and knees. "Ahh…Ouw…Damnit!" He cried out in pain as the intruder suddenly appeared in-front of him, stepping on his hand.

"There's more than one?" Gohan quirked his brow, looking down on the ex-con as he grimaced in pain, trying to pull his hand out from beneath his foot.

"I'm not s-saying one more word, n-not one," Soba's voice trembled. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get his hand out from under there, the attempts were just causing him pain. " It's for your own good man, try to understand, if you go looking for him, it will be your death. It will be the death of us all!"

"Death…death doesn't scare me," the intruder squatted down to his eye level. "I'm a good person you know, and good people get to go to otherworld when they die." He continued in a conversational voice, Sopa didn't like the way his eyes had that faraway glint in them, like he had forgotten him or something. "Otherworld is…nice, it's where good people go. Good people like my dad, my mom, my grandpa, good people." Sopa watched as the intruder nodded to his own statement as he moved his foot from his hand. Sopa sighed in relief and attempted to crawl to his gun. "I'm a good person so death doesn't scare me." Sopa breathed a sigh of relief as his hand clasped around the cold handle of his gun. It was a good thing he was a pro, otherwise it would have been challenging for him to handle it with his right hand suspiciously broken. "Ahh…Ouw…Ouw!" he bellowed again as out of nowhere the gun, along with his hand was crushed under the intruders boot.

"I'll tell you what does scare me though," the intruders voice changed from that conversational tone to a more threatening one; "facing them all again in otherworld as a complete failure. _That_ scares me. That man," the intruder brought his face down to his ear, "the one with the sun spider at the back of his neck took her from me, and I…I won't face her again before I get her justice." He whispered the word and pulled back his face. "So _friend_," he moved his boot from his hand, "since you're the only lead I have, I won't leave here till you tell me what I want to know."

"So he…he killed your whole family huh? I'm really sorry to hear that man, but…going after him won't help none. You'll just get yourself killed." Sopa whispered, shaking his head as tears stung at the back of his eyes. He was in so much pain. He had been recruited by and worked for a psycho as a misguided teenager, he wasn't exactly proud of some of the things he'd done while working for _him_, but he'd been around that psycho long enough to recognize another when he saw one. Maybe the best strategy was to tell him the truth so he'd leave him alone. If he went looking for Coco he'd get killed for sure, no matter how strong or fast he seemed to be.

"You know, I always had to be a good student for my mom, and a strong fighter for my dad." The psycho continued conversationally again. "So, I learned, as a good student, that the human body has two hundred and six bones. And as a fighter, believe me, I have the strength to crush them all. So I'm gonna sit here, and ask you again, tell me who they are, or we will sit, and we will wait, until all two hundred and six bones in your body are crushed like your hands. Your choice."

Sopa gulped, and thought of how far he'd be able to flee with Sopa on the little money that had. Once Coco was through with killing this guy, he'd come after him for sure. Whichever way he looked at it, he was screwed. "His name's Coco, I don't know where he is right now, I've had no contact since I got out. If he killed your family, I'm sure it wasn't personal. He's just a hired hand, he'll tak-"

"It was personal to me!" Gohan grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and shoved him back. "He took everything from me and left me with nothing. You must have an idea of how to find him, tell me!"

"I…I," Sopa swallowed, "unless you have lots of zeni at your d-disposal, you won't even find him." The look in the intruder's face said he'd better keep talking or else. "Look man, I never killed nobody alright? My job was to create 'diversions' for some of his missions, but I got busted like a chump and never heard from him again. I can give you a number to c-call, it's a message service that he used when I was still his s-side-kick." He shook his head as if in regret of that particular detail. "You gotta drop a message with the name and details of who you want terminated and if he thinks the call is legit, he'll call you back and give you an account number. Once the money's in the bank, he'll make the kill. That's how Coco operates. He doesn't even know the targets personally, trust me man, your family, I'm sure it wasn't personal."

"Give me the number."

…

Videl raced up the stairs, taking them two at a time. It had felt like forever to get here in her copter, but finally she'd made it. As soon as she'd explained the cause of the damage to the computer room to the pissed off chief, she'd printed out another copy of Sopa's RAP sheet and immediately set a course for this dump of a neighborhood. The narrow streets had not afforded her many landing spaces, so she'd landed on a rooftop a few streets away. It had taken her five minutes to maneuver herself around the dingy neighbourhood, but finally she'd made it. She could only hope that she wasn't too late to catch Saiya. She took the last few stairs leading to floor six and gasped when she saw the destruction that greeted her at what used to be the door to apartment 6B. No doubt this was the work of that charged up psycho, Saiya. Shaking her head she charged in.

"Please, I need a doctor," a pitiful voice whimpered. Videl proceeded carefully, and gasped at what she found. Dragging himself by his elbows, neck bruised, a half-naked Sopa looked pleadingly up at her.

"Hold on, I'll call you a doctor," Videl pressed a button on her communicator, "and while we wait for help to come, you have some questions to answer for me, Sopa Mews."

…

**_That's the chapter guys, please be kind and give us your feedback._**


	7. Underhanded Tricks

**Disclaimer:** We own not Dragonball/Z/GT, just Sopa and Coco.

**Chapter 7**

_**Brought to you by Gohan-to-the-max, Ultimate-Saiyan, Gue22**_

* * *

><p><em>Useless.<em>

His frustration worsened as he tossed out a soda can in a fit of rage. The small item went sailing out his hideout, flying out the door and hitting the river that ran a few feet below tree with a small splash.

The number he'd extracted out of Sopa was just useless, useless.

"_Leave a message with a number. I''ll get back to you with detailed instructions."_

That's as far as that useless number had taken him. _Damn it!_ He punched the thin wall of his tree-house so hard that the whole structure shook, the crown of the great redwood tree rattling as its large branches struggled to support the small wooden structure he had constructed for shelter.

He had no reason to hope that this number was still valid. No reason to hope that this 'Coco' would get this message and call him back with these so called 'detailed instructions'. The number was probably outdated and abandoned, and he was no where closer to catching his mother's killer than he'd been seven years ago.

"Urgh!"

He paced the short length of his tree-house, running frustrated fingers through his short spikes. He had this sinking, maddening feeling that this was a dead end.

"Damn it!" He cursed in a loud outburst, stamping his foot on the floor so hard that his boot went through the wood. It got caught in the hole between the broken protruding splinters and the reflection of the sun bouncing off the surface of the river below his house filtered through, dancing and twinkling mockingly on his tumult face. Gohan frowned, roughly yanking out his boot to release it, and suddenly fired an angry blast at the calm waters bellow.

The angry thundering of his heart rang so loud it was deafening. The frustration made him want to tear something apart so badly that he could feel the tips of his fingers burning with unchecked Ki. The spider tattoo was useless. That Videl girl and all her connections to the police was useless. That lowlife Sopa was useless, but even more useless was that stupid number which led to that stupid voice recording.

_All bloody useless._

"Urgh!" Who was he kidding? Out of all these things, _he_ was the most useless of all! Seven years and his mother's murderer still roamed free, and not just free but probably killing more innocent people in his greedy path of murder and he, the great world saviour had done nothing! Hah! He wasn't a good person at all. His life, his very existence since his fight with Cell was a waste of space - just as Piccolo had said.

_"B-But she she was dead," he found himself gravitating closer and closer towards the bed, onyx eyes falling on the small angelic face that matched his fathers. His fingers were twitching, they desperately wanted to touch the soft bangs of dark hair that had fallen in his face._

_"When Vegeta went to see your grandfather about doing his own investigation, Ox King ended up entrusting the infant in his care. To keep him as a secret from those that would try to have him assassinated, at least until they were found."_

_"H-He looks just like-"_

_"Kakarot. How observant you've become," Vegeta stated dryly as he rolled his eyes._

No! Not anymore. He would be a selfish wondering waste of space no more! He no longer had the luxury of self-indulgent self-pity. He had a brother now, a little angel embodied in his father's image and with him came a duty to protect. He would search until he had no breath left in him for that assassin. His grandpa had feared for his safety so much that he'd kept him hidden from the world, entrusting Bulma and Vegeta to protect him. But they couldn't do all this by their selves so, no; no more uselessness. He would do his part to keep his brother safe no matter what.

_My brother…_

The thought filled his soul with such longing unrest that he immediately took off to the skies.

...

He knew from experience that there was security everywhere, so he had to be careful.

There was no hesitation or remorse in his next action, his heart was pounding furiously, it was anxious and impatient.

Like a cat, he leapt from the tree and struck the Gardener at the back of his neck. The lanky man went down quietly, slumping onto the landscaping fabric he had been trying to lay out. Quickly, Gohan dragged him behind the flower bed and stripped him off his gardening apron and boots. He had already helped himself to an extra pair of overalls by breaking into the garden service truck. Mechanically, he yanked the landscaping fabric from the ground and tossed it over the Gardner's unconscious body to further conceal him. Satisfied that he wouldn't be noticed until his return, he slipped into the muddy gardening boots and tied the apron along his neck.

He could sense the two boys and Dr Briefs out back in the large Capsule Corps' Botanical Gardens, so he threw a few random plants into the wheelbarrow and began to meander his way to their location. The sun had lost the intensity of its heat as it began to recede into the horizon, and its early evening glare was shining directly into his eyes – blinding him. He pulled out a cap from the back of his overalls and wore it tipped as close to his face as possible. His nostrils twitched as they picked up the sharp smell of manure from his stolen boots, but in his state of mind, the pungent scent wafted around him pleasantly because the smell only meant one thing - he was close. Each new step, each crush of the stolen boots on the soft blades of grass below as he advanced towards the private garden, was just a step closer and closer towards what his heart desired to see the most.

He could feel the unrest in his heart begin to quiet. The rage and frustration of earlier ebbing away as sweet child-like laughter filled his ears. The entrance to the gardens loomed before him as the garden tools dangled noisily from the pockets of his apron. He pulled out the stolen security card, ran it through the scanner and let himself in, pushing the green wheelbarrow ahead of him.

"I'm done! I'm done! I got through all my tags first grandpa!" A bubbly voice chirped.

"Goten you dumbo, you dropped half the labels of the plants in the cactaceae family." A dry voice drawled.

"Uh-uh Trunks, I didn't, I put new labels on all those ugly'ol cactus plants, the ones on the floor are the old ones. I did it! I did it! I finished my section!" The little enthusiastic voice beamed.

"Nicely done Goten," a voice he recognized as Dr Briefs' approved. "With you and Trunks as my assistants, we'll finish replacing the old labeling system in no time. The World Botanical Council is in for a shock when they come for their 'surprise inspection.' Heh...I knew grand-kids with super-speed would come in handy," he chuckled.

_Grand-kids…_

Gohan's heart made a violent jolt. Goten wasn't _his_ grand-kid. That privilege belonged to someone else. Someone now…deceased, gone.

"We could always just beat'em up if they fail us grandpa," Trunks proposed a solution. "They're just a bunch of weaklings anyway."

"There, there, Trunks. No need to worry. We'll pass for sure." Dr Briefs stroked the cat perched on his shoulder.

"Alright! Alright! We're gonna pass! We're gonna PASS!" Goten cheered enthusiastically.

Gohan continued walking towards the sound of the voices, his footsteps getting lighter and lighter. He was so close to him now that it was an effort all in itself to control the need to just phase before him. He had only seen his brother once on that terrible yet wonderful night. Though his grandpa had died that day, stripping him of the last family he had in this world, he had also discovered the existence of a brother. From that night onwards, Goten's Ki signature had infused itself into his brain, always blaring hot and strong, calling out to him in loud silence like some kind of beacon.

"Here boys, this is the last batch of new tags. All these are for the green-house. Zip and zap quickly and let's go inside ey?" Dr Briefs' opened a small box with a transparent lid.

"Let's do it! Let's do it!" Goten hopped around enthusiastically.

Heart racing, then slowing, then racing, only to slow down again, Gohan could see all three of them now. It knocked him to his knees, the resemblance between his brother and his father. The enthusiastic hopping on one spot, the face splintering smile, the large dancing eyes – it was him, his father, down to the very last chromosome.

"Come on Trunks, last one there is a heap of stinky old manure!" He declared, zapping out of view in the direction of the greenhouse with Trunks hot in pursuit.

Frozen to the spot, Gohan felt an overwhelming sense of relief and purpose. His brother was alive, well and…most importantly...happy and care-free.

"I didn't realize that this section was due for a service today," Dr Briefs said conversationally, pulling out a cigarette as he strolled towards Gohan with a black cat perched on his shoulder.

"Um…no sir, it isn't. I can leave if I'm disturbing you in your work." Gohan spoke with his eyes on his boots, pulling his cap further down to conceal his face.

"No, no," Dr Briefs waved him off. "Just as well you're here. Seems some big-shot inspectors are coming down to inspect us tomorrow. I know they're hoping to shut us down. The boys have been helping me upgrade the labelling you see, but they're a bit messy. When you get the time, just rake in all the old labels they've tossed on the floor."

"Right away sir, I'll start in the greenhouse." Gohan agreed. Dr Briefs merely patted his shoulder in approval and walked past him.

Pushing his wheelbarrow, Gohan followed the boys to the greenhouse where a competition of who could tag the fastest was already underway. The boys noticed him right away of-course.

"HELLO!" Goten halted in mid-air with a huge grin spreading across his face. "Oops! You're not supposed to see us flying, heh heh," he rubbed the back of his neck. "Are you here to tag too? My name is Goten!" He happily confessed, declared and introduced himself all at once.

Trunks smacked his forehead and shook his head, sometimes he wondered about his brother. "Goten you dumbo! Get down from there."

"But he's already seen us Trunks." Goten pouted. "Are you gonna faint Mr, cause people usually scream or faint when they catch us using our saiyan powers."

"Goten!" Trunks yelled.

Gohan simply shook his head 'no'. The immense joy he felt from just standing stupidly with the stolen wheelbarrow, while his brother blabbed secrets innocently, was all consuming. He was his father's son, down to his simple and innocent outlook on life – no matter that he was raised as a Brief. Tears stung the back of his eyes, it was all almost too much for him. "It's...it's nice to meet you Goten." He found his voice. "And no, I'm not gonna faint, don't worry. I've seen people fly before." He said with a sad smile.

"Cool!" Goten flashed him a wide grin. Gohan felt a sense of deja-vu wash over him. If it wasn't for the little squirts height, Gohan would have sworn on his life that that was his father.

Trunks regarded him suspiciously. He seemed awfully calm for someone who had just stumbled on a bunch of kids flying around. "If you don't mind," Trunks tried to sound stern while addressing him, "Goten and I have some work to do in here. You can come back later." The eight year old flicked back his long purple hair and folded his arms.

Gohan couldn't help but smile, Trunks was a little Vegeta in the making for sure. "You guys go ahead, Dr Briefs just asked me to pick up all the old labels, make sure they're not lying around and clean up a bit." His eyes were mesmerized by the image of his brother, completely unabashed, hovering in the air.

Trunks frowned, regarding him. "Fine then, stay. Just don't get in our way."

"I won't." Gohan reached into his apron and pulled out some gloves.

As the sun receded to the corners of the horizon, blaring an orange farewell for the day, Gohan walked the quiet streets of West City with a foreign sense of contentment. He had spent his time at Capsule Corp. happily following the boys around as they tagged all the plants of the Botanical Gardens, cleaning up after them, and blissfully eavesdropping on their childish banters. All too soon, it was all over. Dr Briefs had congratulated them on a job well done, and then steered them back to the main house. 'Mum', was waiting on them with treats before bath-time.

He curled his fingers into his hand, the thought of Goten calling Bulma 'mum' was just...painful. His own mother had been so excited for his birth, it would have brought tears to her eyes to hear him finally calling him mum.

He pressed on, his boots making a soft swoosh against the pavement, ducking further and further into narrow and deserted alleys. He needed a good spot to take off into the air unnoticed when the inside of his right pocket suddenly vibrated three times. Swiftly he reached inside and pulled out his phone. A smile spread across his face as he realised whom the text was from - 'Coco.'

His pulse quickened as he stared down at the words reflected across the screen. He read them carefully, slowly, drinking them in, his anger rising one inflection at a time. Once again he scanned through the text message and slammed the phone shut before stuffing it back into his pocket. Coco's 'instructions' spread throughout his head as though it was the flu travelling quickly from person to person.

"Damn." He cursed under his breath. To continue with this plan, he needed everything he didn't and couldn't have. To continue with this plan he needed funding and someone to use and name as a real life target. He should have known it would come to this. He honestly didn't know what he'd been hoping for.

He paced backwards and forwards, thinking on what his next step should be. Who? Who could he use? Who could he give as a target? One person ran throughout his mind - Bulma. She was rich, she was famous and was well protected. But, was he prepared to go back and ask her for help? Was he prepared to give in to the demands that she would undoubtedly impose on him? To give up his solitary wondering and become a regular teenager? No, he couldn't do that. He still didn't want to be found.

His eyes darkened as the figure of his shadow grew longer behind him. Darkness had fallen, and the street lights were now illuminating his way. One step at a time he continued to walk, he had to come up with a solution quickly. Once this business with Coco and whomever had hired him was sorted out, he could enter his brother's life without fear.

"Goten," he whispered.

To get his brother back in his life he had to find the killer, which meant he had to play by Coco's rules for now. Bulma, as ideal as she was - having the money to finance the hit and having a husband that could easily protect her from an assassination attempt, was still a huge no. He couldn't bare to face them all, one cosy, happy little family, with Goten happily calling her 'mum'. No he couldn't go to Bulma and ask for money, or for her to volunteer to be his target. Just as well, because Vegeta would kill him if anything happened to her.

Then it hit him, could he perhaps use Vegeta as the potential target? The boy shook his head as his hair swayed backwards and forwards, immediately knowing that Vegeta would kill Coco before he got the chance of sweet revenge on the man that took what was left of his life. For that reason he couldn't go to Vegeta either, Coco was all his.

An evil smirk swept across the teenagers face as he lifted his body into the air, pushing his Ki below him to support his weight. Coco would not get the luxury of a quick and swift death. He signed away that right the minute he'd taken this job to kill his mother. The only thing awaiting him, was a slow, painful and traumatic death.

As he soared through the air, he let his thoughts wonder to his late Grandfather and how he was in some ways lucky to be able to be in Otherworld where he was reunited with his daughter. Gohan would give anything to be reunited with her, his heart even craved for her to give him mountains of homework.

Then a thought hit him whilst in mid air, what if his grandfather had left him some money which could help aid him in the future? He was the King, and well...by rights, he should have been the prince. Still any money he might be entitled to meant he'd have to return to the lifestyle of royalty and assume all kinds of responsibilities before his mission was over. No, he couldn't do that. He needed the guaranteed safety of his little brother.

He picked up speed as he soared further and further away from the receding city-lights. He was out of the metropolis now, soaring above the thick forest that housed his little hideout. He picked up the trail of the familiar river that ran all the way to, and passed his hideout. His Ki sweeping above it at tremendous speeds, the previous calm of the river was disturbed, parting and breaking into wavy ripples.

He landed straight onto his tree and hopped into his little house. He pulled out his phone and read the instructions again. Briefly he wondered if he could trace Coco with the bank details he had supplied, but the info buried in the back of his head about World Banking Systems said no. The 10 digit numbered account was obviously one from a bank in SweetLand. In SweetLand, neither a bank's officers, nor employees are allowed to reveal any account or account holder information to anyone, including the SweetLand government or even the World Government itself.

No, he couldn't trace Coco that way.

This then left him with only one option. He knew of only one other person he could use, and that person wasn't going to be easy to convince. He had no choice though, he had to use the girl from earlier - Videl Satan.

The next morning, a transformed Gohan in his 'Saiya' persona found himself walking throughout the streets of Satan City. His blonde head was low as he walked throughout the 'rich' part of the large town, knowing exactly where to go to find her. Whilst he walked, there was a flash of gold as his pace increased. Sensing which direction the girl was heading, he made a sharp right and continued straight. As he walked, he did not fail to notice that the houses were getting larger and larger. His speed increased until he saw a girl with jet black hair and pigtails jogging at the side of the road.

"Videl!" He yelled, causing the girl to come to a halt.

"Saiya?" Videl threw her body around to meet with the eyes of the one yelling out her name. A serious expression spread across her delicate features as she began to storm up to him. He had some nerve, casually calling out her name, after all he'd done yesterday.

She was inches away before she prodded him with her right hand. "I have a bone to pick with you!" He nostrils twitched in anger.

Gohan sighed. "I'll bet. Can this wait till later though? I can't believe I'm doing this again but miss Satan, I need your help." He announced shamelessly.

Shocked at his nerve and audacity, Videl's anger flared. "Mr Show-off didn't get his way with Sopa Mews, so comes running back to me for help?" She folded her arms and smiled rather smugly. "Listen here buster, you have no right to ask anyone for anything. For what you did to Sopa, the only thing I'm willing to help you with is an arrest."

Gohan coiled his fingers into the palm of his hand, his eyes locking into hers. She stared at him, defiant as ever as he released the tension in his hand. For some reason, his eyes travelled down her body stopping briefly at the cleavage that was slightly elevated by her folded arms. His cheeks dimpled as he swallowed, never before had he seen her in something other than a baggy top. But here she was, wearing a tight black strap-top and a pair of shorts so short, they were practically riding up the curvature of her bottom. Videl blushed a shade of red as Gohan quickly looked away into the distance. He could have sworn he heard her mutter _pervert _under her breath.

"I had a little chat with Sopa after I found him, he told me all about what you were looking for. You had no right to torture him, he has already served his time for his mistakes." She took a step closer towards him.

Gohan could feel the tension rising at the back of his shoulders. "Sopa Mews was a low life scum who deserved worse than what he got!"

"Look, I'm sorry your entire family was wiped out by this guy with a spider tattoo. The name Coco is not exactly new to Law Enforcement. He's already on the World Government''s Most Wanted List. Thanks to you, I've supplied the information about the tattoo at the back of his neck into the Criminal's Database. Leave this matter to the authorities, they'll get justice for your family."

"And just how long has he been on that list without any leads?" He glared her down. His tall frame looming over her. "Years,I'll bet." He answered his own question. "It's time to bring this scumbag down, and I need your help to do it quickly."

The word 'quickly' appealed to Videl's sense of justice. After her conversation with Sopa, Videl had used her father's weight to gain access to classified World-Government information. Coco had been on the loose for a long time, and apart from the 'lead' about his tattoo that she herself had supplied yesterday, his case had no breaks. None.

She stared up into the face of this enigma that called himself Saiya, his sense of justice tempted by the cold press of purpose shining in his eyes.

"Obviously you have a plan that you can't execute without me. Otherwise you wouldn't even be here." She stated coldly. "I'll bite, what exactly would you have me do, to 'help' you?"

An evil smirk spread across the taller teenagers face as he leaned his face closer to hers. They were only a few centimetres apart. Her breath grew slightly heavier underneath his gaze. Just with him looking directly into her eyes made her feel weak; she could feel that warm vibrating something from yesterday in the computer room radiating off of him. Saiya was anything but 'usual'.

"Read this." He passed her his phone. Allowing her to read the text and digest the information. Satisfied that her eyes were the right size of shock, he snatched back his phone and loomed closer to her face.

"First of I need five million zeni." He whispered in a calm voice, quickly his eyes diverted around the neighborhood, as if scanning for eavesdroppers before moving his body back in the process.

"What else?" Her pulse quickened. Five million zeni was a lot, but she could get her hands on some if she was crafty. No, the outrageous amount of money he was shamelessly asking for was not the reason she felt prickles at the back of her neck. He wanted something more out of her, she could feel it. And she had a dreadful feeling that she knew exactly what it was.

"Secondly I need your consent to name you as the target for an assassination." He said without batting an eyelid.

The air around her suddenly dropped a notch as she digested that which she had already deduced. This guy, he had no shame, and he had some nerve to ask her for such an enormous favour, after everything he had already done.

She set her mouth in a straight line as she immediately thought of the risks associated with this. What made him so cocky as to believe that Coco would be trapped this easily? Oh yes, she had done her research last night, this guy, this Coco had never failed on a job - never. Was this guy insane enough to think that she was really willing to throw her life away just to help some crazy psycho whose real identity was still a mystery? Someone who had gone back on his word to give her an explanation regarding the deal they had struck, and instead repaid her generosity by laying damage to the police station.

The more she thought about her short history with the guy, the more furious she became. This was the same guy that had scared the pants off of her, with his threatening, vibrating and glowing demeanor in the police station, not to mention the same person that had tortured Sopa by breaking several of his bones.

She slanted her eyes at him, ready to give him a peace of her mind. He just stood there, looking rather clueless. Catching her eye, a cocky smirk appeared on his face.

"Don't worry, I can protect you. He won't even get near you." He said with an air of surety that she might have accepted if she didn't dislike him so much.

"What makes you think I need protection from the likes of you?" She snapped, even though she knew that if anyone stood a chance against this Coco, this psycho with his weird powers was probably the closest she was going to get.

Gohan sighed loudly. "If this man could get past me when I wasn't expecting it then he will destroy you even if you are expecting it. I'll stay by your side from this moment onwards, I'll never take my eyes off of you. He won't get pass me, you'll be safe Videl. Just think about it, this way we get to catch him red-handed."

_I'll never take my eyes off of you. _She shivered at the very thought. Those piercing eyes, that dominating aura of his, always close, always watching her...Something tingled at the edge of her toes. She hated how the thought of cornering and capturing the bastard managed to excite her. "This means they'll be definite proof to build a solid case against him." She spoke out, more to herself than to him.

Gohan looked away from her, walking straight past the girl. "Who said anything about a case against him?"

She pursed her lips angrily. Just who the hell did he think he was? Did he have no regard for the law? Was his intent to corner Coco and torture him like Sopa or was he actually planning to kill him? She couldn't let Saiya hurt someone even if in his eyes, the man deserved death. He still had to withstand a fair trial.

She took a few steps to close the distance between them and poked him with her finger. "That's it buster! You clearly have no regard for the law whatsoever. You're just as bad as the low-life's you seem to despise so much. Not only have you broken a simple promise about answering my questions yesterday, but you stand before me, asking me to be some kind of 'bait', in the same breath that you're practically confessing your intent to commit murder yourself." She held her finger to the middle of his sternum. "So explain to me why you think I would put my life on the line and help you with your deranged plans?" She regarded him coldly.

"Because," Gohan lowered his face down to hers until the tips of their noses where touching. He had hoped they could agree without having to resort to threats, but this Satan girl was clearly more stubborn that even he had anticipated. "Because Videl," his words were a cold in the midst of his warm breath. "Because if you don't help me, if you don't agree to be my bait, I'll tell the world, who really beat Cell."


	8. Home

**Disclaimer:** **We own not Dragonball/Z/GT, just Sopa and Coco.**

Chapter 8

Brought to you by Gue22

* * *

><p>It turned her stomach, seeing him like this.<p>

He was supposed to be the strongest man in the world! Yet here he was cowering behind a cabinet, trying to hide from Saiya. She had never seen her father look so...afraid...

"It's...it's...h-him...the one that beat C-Cell..." was all he had been able to stutter in fear this whole time. His whole body trembling in fear, his brow glistening in sweat and his eyes...

"It can't be true Dad!" Videl yelled over the rumble in the room, the tears gathered in the corners of her eyes finally spilling. "It can't be true!" She balled her fists even tighter. She had laughed at Saiya's claim and accusation about Cell, dragging him home with her so he could face the wrath of her father but as soon as they had stormed into his parlour...

Nothing had gone as she had expected.

The whole room was still trembling from whatever it is that Saiya was doing. Just as he was, ornaments were levitating slowly off their places and into the air as if being pulled by some magnet on the ceiling. At this rate, things were going to start breaking. "You've made your point! You've made your point Saiya, now stop it!" She leapt at the blonde psycho and pushed on his chest with her palms.

This was a nightmare. A real, living, breathing, nightmare.

"P-Please...d-don't h-hurt us..." the champ whimpered.

Videl watched as Saiya descended onto the ground, touching down on the soft carpet with the tips of his boots. Like obedient children, the ornaments seemed to obey his silent command and they too, descended back to their places. The shaking stopped, all went quiet...except for her father's pleas.

"Why did you do it Dad? Why did you lie about something so...IMPORTANT?" She whirled around, staring accusingly.

"It just...it just happened." Hercule gulped. "They just...disappeared and there was no one there to claim the victory so I...I didn't even think that reporter guy would believe me, but...he announced me and then...well, then it all got out of control." He lowered his head in shame.

"Urgh! I looked up to you! I worked so hard, trained so hard so I could one day match you! So I could one day feel deserving of the Satan name. I...and it was all...for nothing! For nothing!" She turned away from him. More than anything, she felt...betrayed.

"Sweet-pea..." Hercule momentarily forgot the fear of the glowing blonde teen in the room and moved to embrace his distraught daughter.

"Don't! Just don't!" She shrugged away. "These past seven years, everything has been a lie...all my efforts...a waste." She wiped off stray tears angrily with a swipe of her hand.

Gohan stood idly with a scowl on his face. He had never really given Hercule much thought. His mother had been the one to go ape when they'd seen him boasting on the news, but they had been too busy grieving for Goku, there had been no time to dwell on the man and his outrageous lies. Soon after, his mother had died and he'd closed himself off from the world, completely forgetting about Hercule Satan and his lie. But now he could see just how much this lie was hurting his daughter. He hated that she suddenly looked so hurt and defeated, doubting her worth. She didn't deserve it, deep down he knew that. He knew that even though she was a stubborn pain in the ass - deep down she was a good and selfless person. Good people didn't deserve to be blackmailed and forced to learn truths that turned their worlds upside down.

"W-w...w-why...why now?" Hercule stammered. He was terrified for himself and Videl. He knew what this guy was capable of. "It's been seven years...and you never came forward. Why now? Why have you come here now?" He forced himself to face the green eyed teen, albeit with a quiver in his knees.

"Why do you think Dad?" Videl glared at her father, "to blackmail us, why else?"

Gohan's eye twitched at the blunt truth. This is not who he was meant to be, a blackmailer. But this is who he would be, to keep his brother safe.

"I want two things." Gohan took a step in the champ's direction. "One, I need five million zeni as soon as possible."

"Five million zeni!" The champ exclaimed incredulously. "Why you...you greedy little punk!"

"And two," Gohan continued as if he had not spoken. "I need your consent to make Videl my-"

"GIRLFRIEND!" Videl suddenly blurted out of nowhere, causing the two males to turn incredulously in her direction.

"Wha..." Gohan blinked and lost his train of thought, and for some lame reason, his cheeks suddenly heated up. "G-Girl...f-friend?" Huh? He stared at Videl. She shook her head 'no', when he opened his mouth to speak. Her eyes were locked in a panic, begging him to go along with her.

"No way! Never gonna happen, I absolutely forbid it!" Hercule flayed about, his fear completely forgotten. "No boys Videl - Ever!"

"You said I could date if I found a boy stronger than you Dad. Well guess what - I finally did."

"Noooooooo Videl. Not this guy, not this freak Videl! "

"We are not going to argue about this Dad. You should call Bills and have him arrange for the five million before Saiya changes his mind and sells his story to the press."

"Ah?" The champ stopped his protesting, whining and flaying immediately at the reminder. "S-Sell...his story...to the press?" His stomach dropped. He would be ruined. Ruined. He would be the laughing stock of the world, and his fans would be so disappointed. All his fans... "N-No need! No need!" He waved his arms frantically. "I'll have Bills make all the arrangements, just...just tell me how you want the money."

Huh? Gohan suddenly glanced down when he felt the cool touch of Videl's fingers grabbing his hand. "Now that I know he's stronger than you, there is no need to keep our relationship a secret anymore." She declared boldly.

Mr Satan and Gohan's jaws hit the floor simultaneously.

"Let's go Saiya, we can talk about banking details when Bills is here. We still have a lot to discuss." She said meaningfully, holding his eyes.

"S-Secret...r-relationship?" Hercules knees rattled.

Gohan honestly didn't know what this girl was up to with this girlfriend talk, but, now holding hands, he allowed her to lead him out of the parlour. As soon as the door closed behind them, Videl yanked her hand out of his and fixed cold bleary eyes at him. "If you want me to be your bait, never ever mention this whole Coco business to my father. Ever." She emphasised. "It would kill him, and he'd just get in the way."

Gohan regarded her carefully. There was no mistaking the loathing in her eyes. She despised him, and he could hardly blame her. "I can agree to that condition." He said simply.

It suddenly occurred to him that if her father was as overprotective as his mother used to be then...it was probably better if the champ didn't know about the assassination ploy. Still, she could have come up with something better than...girlfriend to silence him. Gah! What was wrong with him? Why did his cheeks warm up from just the thought of that word?

"Good," her shoulders dropped, releasing some of her tension. But the horizontal lines across her forehead suggested that she was anything but pleased. "You can help me pack, come on." She started walking towards the staircase.

"P-pack?" Gohan stammered as he followed after her. "Where are you going?" He blinked, honestly confused.

"Anywhere but here. I can't live here while I'm on Coco's hit list. I would put my father and the entire household in danger. We have more than twenty people living and working here you know. I'd sooner die than put them in the line of fire." They had come to the top of the stairs, her hand trailing off the polished railing.

"Um...I guess I hadn't thought that far yet." Gohan scratched his head as he followed her down the passage. In fact, now that he was thinking about it, he had not come up with any plan at all. If he was going to protect her, he had to be with her at all times like he'd said. Which meant...which meant...he'd have to...l-live with her. There was no other way around it.

"Videl," his voice dropped a notch as he touched her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. "In order to protect you effectively, I'll have to be around you 24 hours a day," he breathed, his eyes meeting hers. "You realize that we can't be separated from now on right?"

In response, Videl just gave him an irritated look. "Duh! Of course I do!" She shrugged off his hand and continued to march down the passage. "Why do you think I spewed that nonsense about being your girlfriend to my father just now?" she was almost yelling.

To his shame, Gohan found himself flushing at the memory. But thankfully Videl was not paying attention to him. She just kept marching on.

"I get it, okay?" she threw her hands up in the air. "I'm stuck with you until we catch Coco. But if anyone even suspects or whispers that you might be a bodyguard, it will send the whole of Satan City into a panic. My father, my friends...the police force...not to mention the public. If this thing is going to work out, there has to be a legitimate and believable reason for your sudden presence in my life." She scowled, even though Gohan, trailing behind her, couldn't see it.

Gohan could only stare after her. Wow, this girl...she had already thought things through, way ahead of him. It shamed him somehow, for although this was his plan, he hadn't really thought further than her saying 'yes' to being his bait. He hadn't even thought of the finer, day to day details.

"As a couple," she continued, "it will make sense for us to be together all the time. New love and all that crap." She muttered sourly. "Everyone knows that I'm not allowed to date, so it will make sense that I moved out of the mansion, because presumably, I'll be defying my father to be with you. Thank goodness I'm already 18." There was a bitterness in her voice that he wasn't so sure was directed solely towards him.

"You've really thought this through then," was the only thing he could say. "But will your dad stand for this? Moving out? Living with m-me?" For some reason, the thought of them living alone somewhere, together, made his whole face flush with embarrassment.

"I'll tell my dad that I need some time and space from him and his lies. I'm sure he'll understand." She said, her eyes narrowed into slits. "He'll have no choice but to understand." She concluded.

They continued down the passage for a few more seconds. "This is my room." She announced, as she came to a stop in front of a solid fir wood door. It looked thick and expensive, with an elaborate design consisting of a giant rose carved in its centre.

"Whoa!" Gohan exclaimed when he laid eyes on it. He had never seen a bedroom quiet like this before. It was flooded with natural light, pouring in through three large skylight windows on the ceiling. The sun was blaring in, with its warm rays falling gently onto the soft furnishings.

"You must really like plants." Gohan blurted. There was no other explanation. The room was close to resembling a glasshouse, with its large windows making up more than two thirds of wall-space. The windowsills were low and wide, lined with a generous variety of indoor plants. Instead of the typical paintings or in the case of most teenagers - posters on the walls, Videl had mounted flower-boxes, each spilling spiralling flowers down the frame. "It's bad feng-shui to have so many in the bedroom you know."

Videl merely grunted at his comment and proceeded to open her wardrobe and drawers, pulling out a few items here and there. "There." She exclaimed, after making a small pile on the bed. "That's all I need for now." She said, as she began to pile the heap into a capsule suitcase. Once everything was in, she encapsulated it and slipped the capsule into her pocket. "Okay then, I'm ready. Let's go."

"Um...where do you wanna go?"

"Home."

...

"So its official," her voice came out hoarse and low as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"Yeah, it is." Gohan said, as he closed his phone.

Everything was in place now, the plan was set in motion. Coco had just sent him the confirmation: He had received the money transfer, and his last voice recording was to say that Videl Satan would be dead by the end of the month.

A shiver ran through her as she poured herself a glass of water. She was thankful that the cleaning service had been diligent in keeping up this old house. Though it had been seven years since they'd moved to the mansion in the most expensive part of Satan City - this small house in the middle of the quiet suburb of Clover was where she'd grown up. This is where warm memories of her childhood flourished. This is the place that filled her dreams whenever she dreamt of 'home'.

She gulped down the contents of the glass in seconds. It had been a long and tiring day. The transfer arrangements with Bills, the fight with her father about dating a dirty blackmailer behind his back. About moving out and desecrating their old family home by taking the blackmailer there. The stress about the assassination, and worst of all, the knowledge that she was stuck with this inhumanly strong and unpredictable psycho for the next three weeks, depending on how long it would take Coco to make his move.

She dropped the empty glass in the sink and opened the backdoor to the kitchen. The small back garden had lost most of its flourish without her mother's careful hand over the years, but it was still there. Green grass, an overgrown Jacaranda tree and a small flowerbed circumferenced by smooth garden stones she remembered picking out with her mom.

They used to have a rocking chair out here, but all she could do now was sit down on the slightly overgrown grass. The horizon had grown dark, with a thin orange strip indicating the end of the day. It was only a matter of time now before it grew completely dark.

She was shivering, though the air was still and warm. Logic told her that this was no different than barging into an armed situation with just her physical strength to rely on. But, the irregular skipping of her heart and the prickling she felt on her skin suggested that she was not reassured at all. Coco was coming after her, and up until now, the assassin had never failed on a mission.

Even though she didn't hear his approach, she instinctively knew that he was there - standing behind her.

"So here we are," she said.

"Yeah," was his lame response.

"I still don't know anything about you, except for the whole Cell thing. Don't you think its time you told me the truth about yourself?" Her voice was soft, her eyes fixed on the lilac funnel shaped petals of the large tree.

"No." Was his curt response.

Videl grunted irritably. "Fine, be an ass. It's not like I'm interested in your twisted self anyway." She roused to her feet, "I was only asking because we need a plan for Monday."

"Monday?"

"Yes. On Monday I have school, and you can't exactly protect me if you're not enrolled now can you? We need to get you into OSH, and in order to get you registered and stuff, I'll need to know some 'real' facts about you."

"Oh. Don't worry about that, I'm already registered." He said, and sighed as he closed his eyes for a brief second, releasing the energy that kept him in super-Saiyan.

Videl gaped, not sure if she was seeing things. One minute the psychotic blonde was standing there and the next...well, the next he was gone. Replaced by none other than the tall dark-haired new kid. The anti-social class bum that spends his time lazing around on the bench at the expense of the debating team. Her loathing for him only intensified. Of course, Saiya and the only other guy that rubbed her the wrong way just _had_ to be the same person.

"So it's you." She spat scornfully. "Gohan. Just great." She muttered, horizontal lines of distaste creasing her forehead. "I won't even bother asking how you're able to transform into two different people, we've already established that you're not going to give me a straight answer." She walked passed him and walked back into the kitchen. "I'm going to my room." She turned a corner and disappeared.

…

"Run Erasa!" Videl gripped her friend's hand and pulled her along as she turned another corner. This time the bullet went sailing past their heads, hitting the wall on the other side. "This way," she pushed Erasa through a green door. "Stay in here!" She commanded to her terrified friend. "Keep your head low, I'm going back for Sharpner." She said, hugging her friend a final time before she turned around, preparing to head out.

She didn't even make it out the door. The impact of the bullet sent her crashing against the wall. She clutched her chest, as the pain seared through her. Her fingers glided against the warm slippery texture of the blood and as she felt herself begin to sag to the ground, all the life draining out of her. A furious cry erupted from her mouth as another bullet sailed towards Erasa in slow motion - just for her benefit. "Erasa! No!" She screamed, her eyes flying open as she bolted upright. The hand on her chest was vibrating from the furious thumping of her heart, but there was no blood. Only the light fabric of her pyjamas, and the fear of the possibility of Coco attacking her at school like in the dream.

"It was just a dream." A low voice murmured just by her ear in the dark, and Videl bolted to her feet in fright.

"It's just me," Gohan said, a small ball of light from the palm of his hand forming in an instant, glowing in the dark, illuminating his face. His eyes looked soft and kind in this lighting, almost making him seem normal and vulnerable.

"Goddammit Saiya! What are you doing on my bed?" She shrieked.

Videl was surprised to find that for such a cold hearted ass, Saiya or Gohan was rather quick to flush in nervous embarrassment. "No! No! It's nothing like that!" He flayed his arms, the movement extinguishing the small ball of light from his palm.

Videl reached over to the lamp and switched it on.

"You were tossing and turning in your sleep. When you started screaming, I thought I'd wake you up. That's all." His cheeks burned.

"Well...I'm awake now."

"Yeah, I'll just erm..." he jumped off the bed and settled himself back onto the single seater they had brought from the living room. "I'll just sit and keep watch," he yawned.

Videl gave him a doubtful look. This plan of theirs still had a lot of loopholes. He couldn't exactly stay awake 24 hours a day for possibly the next three weeks. It was impossible. Not unless...he was some kind of machine or something.

"You're yawning, which means...you're tired. This is not gonna work, what happens when you fall asleep?"

Gohan rubbed his eyes, he had been thinking the same thing as he watched her sleep. He could probably keep going for 48 hours, but after that...even he needed to catch a few hours of sleep here and there. Sure, he wasn't all human, but he was no android either. He had limits. He hated to admit it, but he needed...reinforcements.

"I'll be fine for tonight. But you're right, eventually I'll need to sleep." He sighed, rubbing his temples. "Tomorrow, we'll go the Lookout and get some help."

"To the Look...where?"

"Get some rest Videl, you'll need it, for what's coming tomorrow."

….

_**That's the chapter guys. Please leave us a review.**_


	9. The Girlfriend

_**Brought to you by Son Goshen and NikkoJin27**_

Videl woke up from her well needed slumber. After everything that had happened, she'd done what Gohan had asked of her last night and slept. Wondering what she was going to do today, she wiped the sleep out of her eyes. Finally opening them, she sat up straight in her bed and looked around.

She rolled her eyes. Of course, she thought, Gohan was definitely still awake.

Said boy stared at her with a serious look on his face. Without a word, he rose from his spot, brushing off his pants as he headed towards the door in haste.

"And where do you think you're going?" asked the young Satan girl.

"I told you that we were going to the lookout today, didn't I?" replied Gohan with an obvious "duh" tone in his voice.

Videl just blinked at him, wondering what was wrong with this guy. He hadnt even said anything to her. Just getting up and expecting her to follow him like a lost puppy? She was beginning to become incredibly frustrated; you could practically see the steam coming out of her ears.

Walking up to the young Saiyan she jabbed her finger into his chest. "Listen Mister," she began, "If you think I'm gonna go with you right at this very moment, then you're dead wrong!" she turned around, walking back towards her resting place as she continued with her rant. "At least let me get ready first," she exclaimed.

Gohan just stood in awe at the fact that, even though she was about to become bait for a murder, she could still be such a girl! He lifted his left hand up behind his head and scratched it. Sighing, he watched Videl go around the room getting "ready." Gohan began to think that she was just procrastinating. She didn't want to go someplace that she was not familiar with. Especially not with him.

He had told her absolutely nothing about himself and yet he knew so much about her. His eyes narrowed. That wasn't fair, he thought. But then again, life wasn't fair. Gohan knew that from experience.

His mom and grandfather dying, and his brother—his sweet, innocent little brother Goten. He still thought that Vegeta and Bulma were his biological parents. Gohan cringed at the thought that he had to wait until the plan has succeeded until his younger brother could learn the truth. But what if the plan failed?

"Oy!"

He snapped out of his trance and began to stare blankly at his friend—if you could call her that. Videl stared at him with a stern look on her face. "Come on, I'm finished getting ready! What on earth have you been thinking about all this time?"

He started to glare at her until he stopped and turned. Shaking his head he replied, "Nothing, let's just go." Grabbing the young girl's hand, he led her out the door and began flying.

Videl was gravely alarmed. She had never flown before, at least not outside of a helicopter or jet. They reached a greater altitude as the people on the ground got so small they began looking like small dots on a piece of paper. Incredibly nervous, Videl began to shake.

Gohan looked down at her giving her a reassuring smile. He figured that it'd be better if she at least trusted him a little. "Don't worry Videl, we're almost there," he said.

Videl just looked down and closed her eyes, her face turning red at the warmth she felt in his arms. What was this? she wondered. She'd never had any feelings for anyone, so she just shrugged it off and relaxed..

Gohan nudged Videl, saying "We're here."

Her eyes widened in surprise. She looked up thinking that there was no end to the building. Seeing that they just kept getting closer to the building with no sign of stopping, Videl began to call out Gohan's name.

He just smirked and started flying upwards, and a small white - no, a large white building came into view. Getting closer by the second. Gohan came to a sudden stop and just hovered over the floor of the Lookout.

"Piccolo," Gohan spoke with a serious look on his face.

Videl looked over in the direction that he was talking to and there stood a huge, dark green creature with big, pointy ears. She was startled and tried to jump back, but then came to a realization. "Hey, put me down now!" she yelled. Finally getting her nerve back, she didn't wait for him, she just jumped out of his arms and created some space between them.

Gohan just stood in his spot dumbfounded as to why she didn't just wait for him to put her down. He shurgged it off though. Oh well, there were more important matters.

Piccolo began to approach them, looking back and forth between their faces - smirking. "So you finally let people know you were still alive, eh Gohan?"

Gohan all but growled. Stepping forward and eyeing Piccolo, the two stared each other down. Gohan had not forgotten that last encounter with his old teacher, and had been hesitant to speak to him yet again.

"Piccolo, I know good and well that you saw me come out of the shadows from where you stood," he replied with a somewhat obnoxious tone in his voice.

Piccolo narrowed his eyes and gave an angry sigh. "Why did you bother to come here?" asked the Namekian,

Gohan was almost amused at his old teacher's sarcasm, he just barely smirked. "Piccolo," he started, "I need to talk to you." Looking over at Videl, she seemed prepared to follow Piccolo and him to where they could talk. He turned to face her and said, "Sorry Videl, but we need to talk alone."

Videl gave an exasperated sigh, wondering what she could do while they were gone.

"Don't worry Piccolo, I'll keep a close eye on her," said a much higher-pitched voice.

Videl turned around in surprise. She didn't think that anyone else lived here, but boy was she wrong. She gasped. "Another one!" she yelled, jumping from her spot.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you. My name is Dende."

Videl was still a bit shocked by the sudden introduction, but this creature seemed a whole lot friendlier than the other one. She agreed to stay put as she watched Gohan and Piccolo walk away.

Gohan turned around and waved towards Videl. "Don't worry Videl, this won't take long." he said.

The took a short walk around the Lookout and just as soon as Videl was out of hearing range, Gohan stopped and looked Piccolo straight in the eye.. "I need you to be Videl's second bodyguard."

What seemed like an eternity to Videl had passed, and it seemed like her "boyfriend" and the green one was finally going to wrap up. She saw the two talk some more and then an awkward handshake took place. It was only then that they headed back.

"Take my hand," said Gohan, "We're leaving." he instructed, just as soon as he'd returned.

Videl complied, offering her hand.

Gohan latched onto her and took off into the skies at a calm speed. As they flew, Videl chanced a look a his serious face. There was something different in his eyes from this morning, they looked almost hopeful.

" Sai- I mean- Gohan," Videl started, "What exactly did you ask that guy?"

"Something very useful," he smiled down at her.

* * *

><p>"Are they like… together?"<p>

"Never have I ever thought…"

"Why him?"

Gohan didn't really care for the whisperings and "quiet" conversations that were currently floating around. She felt a clench on his arm - the one intertwined with Videl. What was that for? He just hoped the circulation wasn't going to cut off. "Videl?" he said softly, shifting his arm.

The girl noticed and lessened her strength. Gohan sighed in relief. "You owe me a big favor," she muttered for the umpteenth time.

"Yes, I get it," he sighed. "I know."

"And why didn't you tell me you were Saiya?" she also asked for the umpteenth time.

"Gosh, how many times are you going to ask that?" Gohan growled, irritated.

Videl muttered something unintelligible under her breath and said no more. She tugged on his arm, steering him to a more vacant hall where they could be sure there was no eavesdropping.

"Real question this time," she began, "How are you so sure this plan of yours is going to work?"

"I'm not," he replied loftily. "But the chances are rather high. Higher than any other plan I've come up with."

She took a deep breath and seemed to debate with herself for a short while before looking up and asking, "Why is this thing so important to you? Surely it can't be your strong sense of justice, is it? Who did Coco kill that was so important?"

Gohan regarded her silently. It couldn't hurt if she knew, did it? "My mother," he said shortly.

Videl gasped, her mouth opening to say something but...what could she really say to that? She took a few seconds to digest the information and said: "I know that feeling, without a mother…"

Huh. "You still have a dad," he reminded her. "I don't have a family anymore."

"I didn't realize," she said thoughtfully, feeling all kinds of pity for the brusque boy. But she knew from experience that someone who walked around with such a tough front, would definately despise any for of pity. "But don't expect me to give you my sympathy because you're still a bastard to me." she added.

Gohan chuckled. "I didn't expect you to."

"Glad you know."

There was momentary silence.

"You know, you'll have to tell me about yourself eventually. I'm not very comfortable with spending my time with you 24/7 when I know next to nothing about you," she added. "No offense."

Gohan shook his head. "None taken. Maybe… one day…"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the two, there was a huge, heated debate about them among students of Orange Star High.<p>

"Alright, first," an annoyingly high voice called out. "Who thinks the two are together?"

All hands went up. Unanimous vote.

"I mean like, did you see the way Videl was like, holding onto his arm as if they're like, totally in-love? Oh my gosh, it's like, so weird!" one stated matter-of-factly.

"Like, seriously? Why would Videl pick out a guy like Gohan? He's the worst!" another added with a snobbish tone.

"Totally! The most antisocial guy I ever met, but I guess he's a tad bit hot."

"I know right, Elaine? His eyes are, ummm, dreamy, I guess? So freakin' cool…"

"But honestly," one sniffed, "Gohan is so nerdy and antisocial and freaky! Videl would go soooo much better with that guy, what's his name, the one that fights or something."

"Oh my God Him?" all the girls pretty much shrieked. Several swooned.

"That hair… those eyes…" one drooled.

They heard a cough and whipped their heads to where the source of sound was coming from. Standing there were the two people the group of girls were just talking about.

"Whoa! Ummm… hiiii? Can I do something for you?" the leader girl tried.

"I think I'd like to pass through without a couple of girls blocking my path," Gohan replied dryly.

It annoyed him to hear their chatter about Videl and him. What was their deal? "And please refrain from talking behind a person's back, especially if the person is right behind you." He watched as the girls squeaked in surprise, quickly scurrying away. Very much like disgusting little rodents, he noted, somewhat amused.

"What a perfect example of your anti-socialness," Videl commented, half joking.

Gohan glared at her. "Not my fault. You try living in-" he cut himself off abruptly and shut his mouth tightly, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Try living in… what? Even if Videl tried to pry further, she guessed Saiya wasn't going to speak to her, not for another few hours. "Well, we should head to class about now, huh? The bell's gonna ring," she said lightly, pretending that the previous incident never happened.

As expected, Gohan did not speak, only nodded curtly and allowed himself to be led to English class.

"So uhhh…" They stepped into the classroom. For a split second, the conversations carried on like it usually would, but they stopped. All eyes were on the two as they made their way to their seats.

Videl growled. "What's with all the staring?" she yelled. This was getting on her nerves. Really. Badly.

Squeaking. Resuming of conversations.

God.

"You really need to chill, girl!" a voice sang. It belonged to a blonde, short-haired girl with a sunny smile. "Hey, 'Del, hi, Gohan!"

Videl grumbled, saying nothing. Saiya acknowledged her greeting with a short nod.

"Sooooo, why the long face, you two?" she continued. There was no response. "Well okaaayyyy… I guess you two don't wanna talk about it? Sure, that's cool with me."

Seeing the pout on the girl's face, Videl felt a rush of guilt. She wondered how the pout always had such an effect on her. "It's nothing, Erasa, don't worry," she said quickly, "Both of us just had a bad start to the day."

The blonde's expression quickly brightened. "You know, things might be better! It's only the start of the day," she said cheerfully.

The dark-haired girl shrugged. "Hopefully." She couldn't help notice that the entire time, Saiya had stayed silent, staring at his desk and rubbing his eyes.

Gohan rubbed his eyes again, the lack of sleep from last night was already getting to him. His vision would become fuzzy now and then, playing a nasty game with his brain. Focus, he told himself, focus. If a bullet came soaring towards Videl, then we're screwed. But…

So… sleepy…

* * *

><p>Videl was surprised to hear light snoring from her left. When she glanced at Saiya, he was fast asleep, his arms resting on the desk, cushioning his head. She grinned, seeing his innocent expression. Almost cute.<p>

She wondered briefly how it would be if Saiya was nicer, warmer, not like his current anti-social personality, or his fighter alter ego. Things, she concluded, would definitely be very different. Maybe she'd even like him.

She was about to reach her hand and tap him on the shoulders, but decided against it. The poor guy deserves a good rest. Hopefully, a somewhat long one. This was one of the rare times that Videl decided to be nice.

And so, the fellow snored through the entire English class. He was pretty lucky to not have been caught by the teacher, she'd have to admit. But the bell was going to ring, and if he didn't wake up soon, he'd be late for his next class.

Little did Videl know that something disastrous was about to take place. No one ever did.

* * *

><p>The sniper positioned his rifle properly, making sure there was going to be no errors. There couldn't be.<p>

He adjusted his glasses, keeping his eyes on the target. As soon as she got up, he'd shoot and escape. As a professional hitman, it wasn't going to be too troublesome. All he had to make sure was that nothing went awry.

Saying a quick prayer while grinning wryly at the heavy irony, he placed his hands on the two spots they had rested upon for hundreds of times, feeling right at home. One finger wandered to the trigger.

Three, two, one.

And he pulled it.

* * *

><p>Gohan suddenly woke up, fully alert. Something had his senses tingling, and he shot a quick glance at the clock. Five seconds till the bell rang, and it seemed that he had slept through the entire class.<p>

The demi-saiyan took a sweeping look around the classroom, making sure it was clean. No risks were to be taken. However, a black dot caught his attention.

Said dot could be viewed by the window, and the more Gohan stared, the more he noticed it wasn't just a smudge. It was a man with a gun. A sniper, possibly aimed for Videl.

There was a loud sound of the window glass smashing. His vision followed the bullet as it whistled through the air, soaring towards the intended target, the one he had estimated to be.

Time slowed down as his hand shot out towards the bullet. He opened his palm, catching it. The impact was enough to shoot through an ordinary hand, but Gohan was an exception. He heard students screaming, felt Videl's hands clutching his sleeve.

Gohan closed his hands tightly around the bullet, crushing it into iron sand. He looked towards where the sniper was.

His mouth had dropped open into an expression of comical surprise. Gohan smirked. This was going to be fun.

Thank goodness the window was broken, so he wouldn't have to be melodramatic and smash through it. The Ox-Kingdom's heir took a running leap and jumped out the window, grinning when he heard more screams. He took off, sprinting towards the direction of the sniper, barely catching a yell of, "Be careful!" He immediately recognized the voice. It belonged to Videl.

Of course.

Her worry for him was cute, but misplaced. The sniper was the one that needed someone worrying after them. After all, he was the strongest being in the universe and the snipper was only good at sniping, nothing more.

An easy thing to take out.

* * *

><p>Videl felt like screaming her head off from fear, or breaking down from crying. But obviously, she was too strong for any of the two. So she stayed calm, breathing in deeply and telling herself that everything was alright. But her mind couldn't help but race and think about other what-ifs.<p>

She barely comprehended what had happened, but after a few seconds of mulling over the quick event, she concluded that Coco had sent a killer after her. So Saiya's plan had worked after all.

But what if the man was just a distraction, a trap? What if they knew about Saiya's powers and so they led him away, leaving her vulnerable? No, she wasn't weak. She could fight off anyone who came her way, with or without super powers.

Nonetheless, the situation was disturbing. Videl barely noticed police sirens blaring.

Someone must've called the police. The students were getting shepherded out of the classroom.

The dark-haired girl realized that she'd better talk to the chief about what happened. This was a confidential matter, not something to be solved by the local police department. The event had to be covered up and so did Saiya's little disappearing act. She could only hope he'd come back soon, preferably with that damn sniper and some hints and answers.

Please, please, please have this Coco situation be wrapped up soon.

The pessimistic half of Videl sorely doubted it. What were the chances of two teenagers hunting down the world's most wanted man who'd been on the world's most wanted list for several years running? That is if you forget the fact that one is a powerful, strange being who had seemly had supernatural powers and could change form and also defeated Cell. And the other one happened to be the daughter of the world's strongest man—till Saiya came along, anyways—who fought for the police force. The chances were… actually higher than what a person would have expected.

Videl quickly put a stop sign to all her thinking, directing her attention to a certain blonde figure with a body slung over his shoulder. So he was as his alter ego now. Now that he was back, it was time for some questioning.

She saw the police rushing towards Saiya, bombarding him with questions.

* * *

><p><em><strong>That's the chapter guys, please let the team know your thoughts.<strong>_


	10. Memories

**This chapter is brought to you by kalebxdd.**

**Disclaimer: Team Dragon Star does not own Dragon Ball Z.**

* * *

><p>As the police questioned Gohan he looked around to view the damage done by the gunman's sudden attack. He sighed in relief when he saw that a broken window was the worst of it. Well… a broken window and a few dozen traumatized teenagers. But it could've been worse.<p>

"Could you please tell us what happened?" a baffled police officer asked the still blonde Demi-Saiyan.

"Well, this guy over here tried to shoot someone a few minutes ago, but I made sure that he didn't," the teenager replied. He dropped the assassin on the ground and began to walk towards the huddle of his classmates.

That was a close call! A split second later and Videl would've been a goner! His heart was still pounding in his chest.

But it wasn't all bad. He had gotten some information about Coco from that guy, which meant he was a step closer to avenging his mother's death.

Gohan cheered on the inside as he thought of bringing Coco to justice and being able to play the role of big brother to Goten. A smile grew on his face as he thought of playing with the little seven year old.

"Ahem." He heard a feminine voice snap him to reality. Videl was standing in front of him with her arms folded in front of her chest. She sent him an angry glare.

"I'm waiting!" she yelled. She placed her hands on her hips. "Some bodyguard you are, I nearly got killed!"

Gohan cringed - true. He had no business sleeping on the job.

"So, is it over? Was that Coco then?" she demanded. "Cause something tells me it was all too easy."

Gohan looked around, trying to deduce how many people would be able to eavesdrop on the two of them. He gave a soft annoyed groan when he realized that they couldn't discuss anything here.

Without warning he grabbed Videl by her lower arm and dragged her out of the building, completely ignoring her protests.

He didn't give her any time to argue, as soon as they were out of sight, he swooped her up bridal style and took off into the skies. Before Videl was even able to speak the two teenagers were already soaring between the clouds.

Gohan increased his speed a bit, causing Videl's pigtails to flutter and sway in every direction possible. Annoyed, the small crime fighter held her pigtails by the yellow clips to prevent them from taking off again.

"Where are we going?" Videl huffed as soon as they had reached a stable altitude.

"You'll see that in a few minutes." said Gohan. "It shouldn't take too long for us to get there."

Their flight went on for what felt like hours and hours. Gohan felt highly uncomfortable as he felt Videl's icy glare penetrate him, causing a slight shiver to go down his spine.  
>She had a right to be angry, he was meant to have been on duty, protecting her, but instead, he'd fallen asleep. If that bullet had...urgh...now was not the time.<p>

He slightly turned his head and stared into the cerulean slits that made him feel like he had just taken a cookie from the jar and was getting scolded by his mother.

_Mom, I'm glad you can't see me right now. To say that you wouldn't like what you saw is an understatement! I've been a bum for 7 years but now I finally have a lead about the one that shot you. I'll make him pay for all that he has done, for all the people that he hurt and for all the families he has torn apart!_

He felt Videl slipping away slightly from his grasp so he tightened his hold on the raven-haired girl thinking back on his conversation with that amateur Coco had obviously used to test the security around Videl.

The man hadn't exactly been hard to persuade. All it took was a stern face and a loud  
>voice.<br>_..._

He spotted the bushes that the assassin had concealed himself his feet touching the grass, Gohan approached him and promptly knocked him out.

His blood pounding with the thirst for revenge, he laid the unconscious man on the ground and stared. Could this be Coco? Could this be him? The one who had taken everything from him?

He was afraid of what he'd do when that question was answered.

He turned him around and scowled. This was not Coco, this man had no mark on him. Still, tatoos could be removed, but close scrutiny of the back of the man's neck revealed that there was never anything there to begin with.

So, he was just an errand boy.

"Wake up." he said, "Wake up already!"

The man gave a soft groan and slowly opened his eyes. He put a hand on his temple as he raised his head. He groaned again as he spoke.

"Uh, where am I?" he muttered.

"I want to know where I can find Coco." Gohan bluntly stated.

The man's eyes widened in fear.

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you that." The man said as he raised his hands in front of his face again.

A frown formed on Gohan's face.

_Another one who is terrified of Coco, just like Sopa._

Gohan reached out his hands and took away the hands the man used to shield his face.

"Why can't you tell me?" The Demi-Saiyan asked.

"I'm sorry, I can't. Coco will kill me for sure if I tell you about him."

"But he won't, I can make sure of that."

"I'm sorry, but I can't. I have a wife and children to think of."

Gohan growled in annoyance. This was taking too long, the man wasn't of any help. But Gohan was sure that he knew more about Coco than he was letting on.

So much for the subtle approach.

In a flash Gohan grabbed the man by his collar. The assassin yelped in fear as Gohan pulled him in and brought their faces closer together. A scowl appeared on the Prince's face as he hissed through gritted teeth.

"Listen to me. I don't have time to play games like this. I'm serious. You better tell me where Coco is right now! I have my reasons to want to snap that tattooed freak in half. That man killed somebody who was very dear to me and all I want to do right now is let him bite the dust that he'll be buried in, but I can't do that unless you tell me where to find him. So what you are going to do now is open that mouth of yours and tell me where I can find him. You don't have to be scared of Coco because if you don't tell me right now, I can just as well kill you myself."

All the color had disappeared from the man's face. He stammered and muttered loose syllables, unable to form proper sentences anymore.

A small grin curled around Gohan's lips. He had the man right where he wanted him.

"What was that?" Gohan said, raising an eyebrow. "Where did you say I could find Coco?"

"H-he-h-he's…" The man stammered. "He's a traveler. Last thing I heard he's been staying somewhere in the 439 region. I'm just a small time gang member of an outfit out there, when this job came out, I decided to take it. The money looked good, and I really need it."

The information hit Gohan like a bag of bricks. 439 area? So...Coco had been staying near his home?

"What is the name of this outfit?" snarled Gohan.

"RabitGrass" the gang is known as RabitGrass."

Satisfied that he had his information, Gohan let go of the man's collar. He turned to the cowering assassin with a stern expression.

"A man with a wife and children should do honest work, you had no business taking up with a gang. Now you'll come with me to say hi to the cops." he said.

And before the man could protest Gohan knocked him out cold with a chop to the neck.

He flung him over his shoulder and grabbed the sniper rifle a few feet away. He quickly made his way to the commotion of students and cops.

...

Zooming across the sky, Gohan looked down at the girl in his arms.  
><em>I won't let Coco harm you, I swear.<em>

...

After a few minutes of silence the two reached a mountain area that was unknown to Videl. She looked down at the rocky landscape and her mouth fell open when she saw a small dome-shaped house in the middle of the lonely plains.

_Who on earth would want to live around her, so secluded from the outside world?_

Gohan had spotted the little house as well and started his landing. In a matter of seconds the two teenagers were back on ground. Videl nearly kissed the ground that she walked on, happy to be on firm soil again. She didn't like the flying thing at all. She studied the small circular house in front of her. Did that place have something to do with Coco?

"Saiya, Gohan, whatever." Videl spoke to grasp the Demi-Saiyan's attention. "What is this place?" she asked.

Gohan took a few steps in the direction of the building. "This is my old childhood home." He replied. "I've lived here for the first eleven years of my life. I have many warm memories here."

"But why did you take me here?"

"Because the man who tried to shoot you a few minutes ago told me that Coco has been living on Mt. Paozu the last time he heard about his whereabouts. It just so happens that I used to live on that very mountain, so now we have a proper place of operation." Gohan answered.

He had chosen to stay in his old childhood home so that he had a place where he felt comfortable. Because, to be honest, why would he try to hide in a shabby little house in the city when he had a proper and comfortable house close to where Coco had been located?

Gohan started walking to the dome-shaped house and Videl followed in his tracks. He took a deep breath as he put his hand on the doorknob and a quick thought flashed through his mind.

_What if Coco has been staying here?_

Suddenly he felt his heart thumping in his throat. What if Coco had actually been staying here, in the house if the woman he so brutally murdered seven years ago?

With a heart as heavy as lead he turned the doorknob around and opened the door. It gave a slight protesting shriek as it swung open. Gohan stepped over the threshold and reached for the light switch next to the door. A click was heard and a few light bulbs illuminated the room.

Videl looked around and studied the living room where Gohan or Saiya or whatever his name was had made many childhood memories and had spent several years with his parents. It looked like any ordinary living room. There was a couch and a TV set. One thing that did seem a tad off was the fact that pictures were still hanging on the wall.

"Why are there still pictures on the wall?" Videl asked.

"Huh, I'm not exactly sure." Gohan truthfully replied. "I guess that we must have forgotten them in the rush of moving out of the house."

The teenage boy walked further into the room and analyzed it for any sign of life, just a single indicator that somebody had been using the house sometime in the past seven years. But there wasn't a single trace to be found. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, causing the room to smell old and musty.

"So, are you finally ready to start answering some questions?" Videl asked as she walked into the house. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and gave Gohan a stern expression.

"Can that wait for just a little while?" Gohan asked. "I want to go and see if the shower still works. I may have punched that assassin guy a little too hard." He said as he pointed to the red bloodstains on his shirt. He started walking to where he remembered the bathroom to be, but Videl jumped up in front of him, blocking his path.

"Wait just a minute!" she said with a stern frown. "First I want to know why we're here and what that assassin guy told you."

Gohan rolled his eyes. He had already gotten accustomed to Videl's rash personality. He mentally scolded himself for not telling her sooner, even if it was just to save him the trouble.

"Well, that assassin refused to tell me anything about Coco at first." Gohan pointed out. "But after scaring the life out of him he told me that Coco is a little bit of a dweller."

Gohan saw Videl's eyes turn big. "So that means that we could be chasing him for even more?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, somewhat." Gohan confessed. But he quickly added something when he saw Videl get angry. "That guy also told me that the last place where Coco had been spotted was Mt. Paozu; the mountain that we are on at the very moment. That's why we're here, so we'll be close to Coco at all times."

"Doesn't that bug you or anything?" Videl asked.

"Well yeah, of course it's a little uncomfortable to be back here and I can get mad at Coco for staying so close to my old home, but that isn't going to get me any further. So I might as well just suck it up."

He moved Videl to the side and walked over to the bathroom door.

"Wait!"

"What now?" Gohan said, getting slightly irritated at Videl constantly stopping him in the middle of an action to question him.

"I have to make sure, are you named Gohan or Saiya?" Videl said as she bit her lower lip. She felt kind of ashamed for not asking any sooner.

A small and warm smile curled around the lips of the teenage Demi-Saiyan. He chuckled as he put his hand on the doorknob.

"The name's Gohan, but you can call me whatever you like."

Gohan entered the bathroom, leaving Videl with a small blush growing on her rosy cheeks.

The door fell in its lock and Gohan let out a huge sigh. He slid to the ground against the door and buried his face in his palms. Why, just why did he have to take Videl here, out of all places. Now she would know exactly who he was and where he was from, just like she wanted all along.

He hoisted himself up from his place on the ground and turned on the rusty shower. The sound of hot water crashing down on the white bathroom tiles reached the young Demi-Saiyan's ears. He wiped his palm over the dirty mirror and studied his reflection before the condensation would be able to conceal it.

He had a ragged look to him, a little bit of a wildling. His hair was messier than it used to be and his eyes stood tired. As he stripped himself of his clothes he studied the rest of his physique. Scars decorated his toned features, indicators of his past in battle and his seven years of dwelling. He let his fingertips graze the damaged flesh and gave a little shudder. Soon these marks on his body would all be worth it. Every piece of torn skin or damaged flesh would be worth it to Gohan if he was finally able to take down Coco.

_Yes, taking down Coco… Videl and I are close. It won't take long until I will be able to wrap my finger around that tattooed bastard's throat and squeeze his very last breath out of him, watch him squirm as he slips away…_

He mentally scolded himself for thinking such vengeful and bloodthirsty thoughts. Yet, a smile curled around his lips at the thought of Coco's lifeless body. Maybe this vengeance thing would turn out to be not so bad after all.

He stepped under the hot flow of water and immediately felt a lot better. Ah! That felt good! He hadn't taken a shower for such a long time that he had forgotten how good it felt to have a hot shower rinse and massage your body. He felt his muscles relax and the tension in his body flow away through the shower drain.

As he rinsed his hair his mind drifted off. He leaned against the tiled wall with his hand to support his weight. He didn't even pay attention to the flowing water that obscured his view.

_Mom, I'm so close to finding out the truth. It won't be long until I will be able to avenge your death and make Coco pay. I wonder how Videl will respond when she sees the photo's of you and finds out that you are none other than the prince of the Ox Kingdom."_

* * *

><p>The room fell quiet after the bathroom door closed and Videl was left on her own, a small blush still burning on her cheeks. Seconds later the sound of water crashing on tiles became slightly audible to Videl.<p>

_Good, now that he's in the shower, I can take a little time and snoop around a bit maybe see if I can find out who Gohan really is and what he's hiding from me. I'm close to figuring you out, Gohan!_

She slowly walked over to the photos hanging on the wall, forgotten in the rush of changing address. The frames were dusty and the picture beneath had been concealed by a layer of filth. She took one of the wooden picture frames from the wall and all that remained in its spot was a clean spot on an otherwise dirty wall.

Videl looked at the dusty glass intently. She couldn't see what was below the layer of dust that concealed the photo, but she was curious what would lie below. It could be a picture of Gohan as a baby or toddler, or a family picture with his parents on it. She softly brushed her index finger over the little glass plate, leaving behind a track in the dust. A little line of colors was revealed and two eyes became visible.

Videl studied the eyes looking back at her. They stood warm and kind, a happy sparkle to match the smile that was probably on the picture as well. They were a woman's eyes, Videl was sure of that. That meant that she was holding a photo of Gohan's mother, the woman murdered by Coco. She used her sleeve to wipe away the rest of the dust and a face became clearly visible.

Just like Videl had thought, the happy eyes were accompanied by a warm and friendly smile. The woman looked young, not a grey hair to be spotted in her gorgeous black locks.

Videl's eyebrows knitted together. She wasn't sure, but one way or another she felt like she had seen this woman before, she recognized her from somewhere. Maybe from a show or a movie that she had seen when she was just a little girl. But she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She decided to look around a bit more to see if there was more in the house that could tell her who Gohan really was and what the woman on the photo was named.

After searching through several cabinets and drawers Videl was about to give up hope on finding anything to help her out. But when she opened the cupboard by the TV set she hit the jackpot. She pulled out an old binder and studied it from all angles. The cover had been covered in dust. She gave a quick puff and little clouds of dust forced her into a coughing fit. After her throat had recovered from the blow she read what was written on the front of the binder.

_Gohan through the years._

"Jackpot!" she whispered to herself excited. She opened the scrapbook and the first thing she saw was a photo of a baby Gohan. She could barely resist the urge to go 'Aw!' as she saw a baby Gohan lying asleep in his crib. She read the description below the photo.

_Son Gohan, two months old._

"Son Gohan, Son Gohan… where do I know that name from?" Videl muttered. She turned the page around and her eyes widened when she saw the next photo.

_Son Gohan with his daddy Goku!_

A photo of a young Gohan in his toddler years was visible, trying to walk as his daddy held his hands. The black-haired man in the photo was none other than Son Goku, legendary martial artist and world champion before Videl's father.

_I already thought so! I knew that name sounded familiar! Gohan is Son Goku's son! But wait, didn't Son Goku get married to a famous woman as well? What was her name again, the woman in the photo? Chimi, or Chibi or something like that? Ugh! Why can't I remember?_

She let out a sigh and looked at the other page. It didn't give her any further detail on who Gohan's mother was. She decided to keep on turning the pages until she had found what she was looking for. And she found it. On the very last page there was a photo of Gohan at the age of eleven. The young boy's teal eyes sparkled joyously as he unwrapped his birthday present. His mother stood by while a giant man tousled the Demi-Saiyan's golden mane.

Videl's eyes traveled to the description below.

_Gohan opening his presents with mother Chi-Chi and grandpa Gyu Mao._

Videl could feel her stomach drop like a brick.

Gohan was the heir to the throne of the Ox Kingdom! The son of legendary fighter Son Goku and Ox Princess Son Chi-Chi, of course! Videl remembered it now. As a little girl her and Erasa had seen Princess Chi-Chi get assassinated on live television. She had needed a few weeks of psychiatric help after seeing it; how could she forget?

"Aw, poor guy!" Videl whispered. The poor kid had been through so much! He had lost his father at a young age and when he was just eleven he had witnessed the assassination of his mother. No wonder he could be so messed up in the head, it made perfect sense. Videl felt so sorry for Gohan that there were no words to express it properly.

The sound of flowing water stopped. Videl didn't turn around as the door opened and Gohan walked out, wearing only a pair of pants. As he ran the towel draped around his neck through his moist hair gave Videl a quizzical look.

"Videl, is everything okay?"

Silence met him. The girl didn't speak a single word. The only sound coming from her being her deep but regular breathing.

"Videl?"

Still no answer.

Gohan was starting to get worried. It wasn't for Videl to ignore him like that. He walked over to the pigtailed crime fighter and put his hand on her shoulder and turned her around. The first thing he noticed was that Videl was clutching something in her hands.

"Videl, what's the matter?" Gohan asked with worried eyes.

A small smile curled around the girl's lips. "Your mother was a very beautiful woman." She said as she averted her gaze from Gohan's stare. "You never told me that she was the Princess of the Ox Kingdom."

Gohan lowered his shoulders in shame. "I know, I should've been honest from the start." He sighed.

"Your mother must have been a really special woman, being a princess herself and being married to someone like Son Goku must be a real challenge."

Gohan managed to crack a smile as well. So this was Videl's soft side.

"Yeah, she was certainly something." Gohan replied. "She always forced me to study and tried to keep me away from fighting. She was always terrified that I would run off and join some gang or something, become a delinquent." He chuckled.

Videl gave a giggle as well. "I remember that before I got into fighting would see the Ox Princess on television and wished to be a beautiful princess like her myself one day." She said as she held the picture in front of her. "It's such a pity that someone as pretty and kind as her had to die so young."

Sadness overtook the young Demi-Saiyan's heart. He slumped his shoulders and gave a sigh. "Yeah, it's a real pity." He said with a sad voice. He held out two trembling hands and he took away the photo that Videl was holding. Grief was all that he felt when he saw his mother's warm smile. It had been years since he had seen his mother's face for the last time. Just a few seconds ago he could barely even picture what her face looked like anymore and now her warm and kind eyes were looking at him with that joyous sparkle, that happy smile. He would never get to see her again like that and it hurt more than anything he could ever feel.

He took a few deep breaths to keep his composure as he handed the picture back to Videl. He was afraid that he couldn't look at the image of his mother for too long. It would only hurt him more to see the woman he had to miss for over seven years again.

"Hey Videl." Gohan said, grasping the girl's attention. "Remember, on the news? That my mother was pregnant at the time of the assassination?"

The way Videl's eyes widened told him more than enough.

"Well, my mother passed away, but not too long ago I found out that my little brother made it." Gohan said as his mind drifted off to the little seven year old. Videl's mouth fell open.

"And? What did you do?"

Gohan averted his gaze from his to prevent her from seeing his depressed eyes. "Nothing. There was nothing I could possibly do. He grew up out of the spotlights. The boy has no idea who his real parents are, let alone that he has an eighteen year old brother. It saddens me beyond words that I can't be there for him now and it makes me want to cry if I think of my mother. She will never be able to see her little boy grow up."

The Demi-Saiyan's shoulders started trembling. The only thing he wanted right now was go to Capsule Corps to go see Goten, to tell him who his real big brother is. He wanted to tell him all about his real parents, how much of a hero his father was and how pretty his mother had been. He wanted to tell him funny stories from his youth and hear stories from his. But he couldn't. He had to take down Coco first, so he could make sure that Goten could live his life in peace.

Videl put her hand on the boy's quacking shoulder. "It's okay, Gohan. It's okay. It must feel good to let it all out. So please, tell me: what do you want ore than anything on the universe?" she asked in a hush tone of voice.

Gohan's shoulders started trembling uncontrollably. A pained expression appeared on the teenager's face As he tried to hold back the tears he felt coming up.

"All I want to do now is go to see my little brother and tell him who his real big brother is. I want to be there for him to protect him and care for him. Read him his bedtime stories and make him his lunch. I want to do everything that his real mother isn't able to do for him." Gohan said. "A, Hell. I would even be satisfied as long as I got to be a part of his life."

Tears started to form in the corners of his eyes. His breathing deepened as he used everything he had in him to keep himself from crying.

"Gohan, don't try to force it." Videl told him. "It's bad to keep things like this bottled up, especially if you've been keeping it to yourself for seven years." She reached out her hand and grabbed his. She softly rubbed small and comforting circles over the back of his big and strong hand with her thumb.

"So, what's your little brother called?" Videl asked as she gave Gohan the kindest smile that she could possibly muster.

The trembling boy let out a sob before speaking.

"G-G-Goten." He stammered in between breaths. "There's nothing more that I want to do than be there for him and be there for him and be the family that he never had. But I just can't do that now, all because of that awful Coco." His sobbing continued.

"Hush hush, it will all be okay." Videl said as she spread her arms. Gohan nearly flew in to them in his search for comfort. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and let him cry his heart out. Muffled cries filled the room as Gohan stained her shirt with salty tears.

"Not too long from now we'll have Coco put to justice and then you will be able to go to your little brother." She whispered to the crying boy. She softly rocked him back and forth and rubbed his over his back. As his heartbreaking cries continued to break the silence she whispered into his ear. "I promise."

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed it.<strong>


	11. Flying Lessons

**Brought to you by Kanotari and DarkVoid116**

**Disclaimer: TDS does not own Dragon Ball Z.**

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><p>When his sobs began to fade away, Gohan realized that the girl who held him as he wept had fallen asleep, clutching him loosely. The teenage boy wiped away the wetness under his eyes and slowly, but shakily rose to his feet. He then sighed, mentally berating himself for his continuous displays of weakness. The teenage boy felt an unimaginable amount of shame over the fact that he had actually almost forgotten what his late mother looked like. Good people don't forget what their mothers look like, dead or alive, he silently mused to himself. But wasn't he a good person?<p>

Gohan had wallowed in his own self-pity for the better part of his teenage years, only recently awakening from his hollow shell. He had started to look past his own problems and stopped being so damn useless all the time. Quietly exiting the room, Gohan stepped out of his front door and began to aimlessly fly. Flashbacks to the past day flooded his memory bank. Videl nearly getting killed, catching the sniper who nearly killed said girl, discovering the bastard responsible for his mother's assassination could possibly be residing near his childhood home, returning to his quaint family home for the first time in seven years, breaking down in the lap of his feisty "girlfriend".

He scowled at that. Sure, he felt a little bit better about this situation now that Videl knew exactly why stopping Coco was such a priority to him. He had essentially ripped the girl from her comfort zone, and forced her into becoming a target for an assassination plot he didn't even know for sure was going to work. She had a right to know everything about why she was currently in this predicament.

Gohan's flight came to an unexpected halt when he flew over his adoptive great-grandfather's house. He wondered if it was possible that Coco was using his father's Grandpa Gohan's house as an outpost for himself or for other members of RabitGrass. Deciding he'd wait until he actually got more concrete information and that he'd left his make believe girlfriend unguarded long enough, even with Piccolo in close vicinity, the teenage half-Saiyan shot in the direction of his childhood home.

Inaudibly landing near the front door, the dark-haired teen entered the door and picked Videl up into his arms, carrying her to what was his room, intent on having her sleep in his old bed while he kept watch for any possible hitmen. As he gently cradled the sleeping girl, he couldn't help but notice the way her face was relaxed, gentle, without worry. It was a sharp contrast from her perpetual scowl. She looked, dare he say, attractive without her trademark expression hiding her delicate features.

Shaking away those thoughts, Gohan put the sleeping girl down and tucked her in before retiring to the couch where he once again allowed himself to be absorbed in his self-loathing.

Slowly opening her eyes, brightness seeped in from outside, momentarily blinding her. Blinking a few times to collect her thoughts, Videl ran through yesterday's events, from the incoming bullet, to Gohan miraculously catching it, to discovering her "boyfriend" was the missing Ox Prince. It was overwhelming and she decided to plop herself right back down on the bed in order to gather her thoughts. Gohan - or Saiya, or whatever he wanted to call himself - completely broke down and bawled his eyes out into her shirt. It was a completely different side to him; it was a side she had never seen before and probably would never see again. He looked so innocent and broken like that- it was an image she wanted to rid her head of, and as soon as possible.

Reaching for a change of clothes, the Satan girl propped herself onto her heels and stood upright. She glanced back towards the photo album she had found the previous day and sighed again. She felt horrible for treating Gohan badly for even a single day. But, she reasoned, who would have known he had endured such trauma at such a young age? He seemed emotionally scarred, sure, and he obviously had a very personal bone to pick with Coco, but never in a million years would she have ventured to guess she was in the company of the most famous prince in history.

The self-proclaimed champion's daughter then thought back to how vulnerable and heartbroken the black-haired teen had looked when the topic of his brother, Goten, came up. She really wished she could just resolve this Coco situation so her new friend could finally be reunited with his long-lost brother. The raven-haired girl then began to formulate a plan. She realized that Gohan - much like most antisocial teens - would never accept help or pity. She more than likely would not be able to convince the spiky-haired teen to agree to a meeting with his younger brother, regardless of how badly the teen wished to see him. Videl's expression transfigured into a smirk. She had a plan.

Videl pulled on a white shirt and some shorts, a perfect outfit for a day of physical activity. She mulled over the finer details of her plan as she laced her shoes tightly. It was going to take some serious luck to pull this off, and of course, a little help from her self-appointed protector.

"Hey Gohan!" she called, sticking her head into what she presumed was his bedroom. "Gohan?"

He didn't answer. There was an obvious reason, of course; he wasn't there. She checked the bathroom as well. No sign of him. It was then that she heard a soft, rhythmic noise. The sound was coming from the couch, where she spotted two feet upon the arm rest. Gohan's feet. Did he spend the whole night out here? Videl wondered, standing over the sleeping form of the prince-in-hiding. Awkwardly, she cleared her throat, but he didn't stir. She gave a loud, fake, rasping cough. Gohan snored and rolled over. The crimefighter tapped her toe; she needed a fresh approach.

"Wake up!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. Her pretend-boyfriend fell off the couch, landing on the wooden floor with a thump.

He yawned, scratching the back of his head. "Geez! What was that for?"

"I need your help," she explained vaguely, grabbing hold of his forearm and dragging him behind her. Sure, he could have stopped her had he wanted to, but she didn't know that he was simply too tired to muster up the energy. She grinned as he blinked violently when the bright sun temporarily blinded him.

"With what?" he queried as his eyes adjusted.

"I want to learn how to fly, and you're going to teach me."

"And if I refuse?" The question was left unanswered. Gohan knew she had a plethora of information at her disposal, so he resigned himself to teach her. "Okay, you win. I'll teach you how to fly. But I teach and you listen, got it? No interruptions." With that, Gohan pulled his arm out of her firm, delicate grasp and walked back toward the house.

"Where do you think you're going, Gohan? Start teaching! I want to learn while I'm still young!" she protested, crossing her arms and stomping her foot.

Gohan came to a stop before turning around to face her. "Alright. So first, you have to bring out your ki-" the teen began, only to be interrupted.

"This 'ki' business. What is it?" Videl asked, a curious expression etched on her face.

"You don't know..." Gohan started to say disbelievingly, before realization dawned on him. He sighed. "That's right, of course you don't. Fine, I guess I'll have to teach you what ki is and how to generate it. You need to be patient, though, or we stop. Understood?" Videl meekly nodded, suddenly feeling insignificant in the presence of the teenage boy's sudden seriousness. "Good, now sit down on the ground." Gohan sat down as he crossed his legs beneath him; Videl copied his pose. "Ki is a physical manifestation of the energy within your body, and-"

"Who are YOU to talk about my body?" she began, her face contorting with rage. "I don't care if we are supposedly boyfriend and girlfriend!" She immediately regretted her statement when her teacher abruptly stood and turned around, beginning to walk away. "Gohan! Wait! Where are you going?" she called after him, hoping beyond belief he'd come back to continue her flight training. How the hell was she going to make her plan work otherwise?

The teenage prince spun around and shot an icy glare at Videl. "I don't know if you've forgotten about the predicament we're currently in, but I sure as hell haven't, and I don't need this distraction if you're going to be ungrateful. It's bad enough I have to protect your weak ass."

Videl was silent, knowing he was right. She had, after all, blackmailed him into teaching her how to fly, then subsequently overreacted when he mentioned her body. It was just a mention, not a leer. He hadn't made any sexual references. The crimefighter shook her head in a vain attempt to rescue her mind from the gutter.

"Now," Gohan continued, "I need you to focus." He took a deep, relaxing breath, which Videl found odd. Nevertheless, she mimicked his action, blissfully unaware of their true purpose.

"Take calm, even breaths, and clear your mind," he instructed. Videl closed her eyes and did as she was told. In, out, in, out went her breaths.

Then, boredom struck with a vengeance. Nothing is happening, she thought, frustration building. How does clearing your mind even relate to flying?!

"You're not focusing," Gohan noticed, without even glancing in her direction. "I can go back to sleep, if that's what you want." Silence, again, was Videl's best course of action.

How did he even know? she wondered. The girl forced the question out of her mind. With that, her attention wandered, finally settling on her heartbeat. It seemed unusually fast. Could she be...nervous? Videl violently shook her heart, dispelling that thought. Taking a deep breath, she tried to pay attention to the task at hand. There was only one slight hitch in that plan. The heavy, steady wind was making it awfully difficult to concentrate. Wind? I didn't notice any wind before. She cracked one eye open and did her best to hide her surprise. The teenage male had his face positioned mere millimeters away, observing her every move; his heavy breaths masked everything else.

Videl closed her eyes again in an attempt to zone out her sensei's rhythmic breathing. She heard him lecturing about how she needed to feel completely at ease and allow her muscles to unwind and feel less tense. The dark-haired girl tried to close off her mind and have an empty, clear head; she quickly slipped into a trance-like state. She didn't know how long she had spent like this, but eventually she heard Gohan's voice rupturing the barrier to her mind. Her eyes instinctively shot open to meet the intimidating, onyx orbs of the nomadic Ox Prince.

"Yes? What were you saying?" She honestly had no idea what he had was trying to get at. He was the one who wanted her to tune out her surroundings! Ugh!

"I said, we're going to try to locate your ki now that you can completely relax your mind. In order to do so, I must first explain to you the basic principle of ki. As I was saying before you interrupted me earlier, ki is the physical manifestation of energy in your body." Videl couldn't help but blush once more at this. She didn't know why, but she hoped beyond hope that Gohan hadn't noticed.

"Every living being possesses some quantifiable amount of ki," Gohan informed her. "You just need to find it. I'm not a very patient person these days, so I'll explain it to you, then I'm going to leave Piccolo to watch you while I go gather some food. Got it?" All the Satan girl could do was nod. She assumed Gohan understood since he proceeded to continue lecturing her on the finer points of ki. "I need you to return to your relaxed state."

Videl did so immediately, finding it much easier to reach a state of nirvana than before. She could feel the expansion and contraction of her muscles, the pumping of her heart, and the blood rushing through her veins all at the same time. It was a new sensation. A few moments later, she faintly heard Gohan's voice on the outside.

"Now that you are at ease, I need you to search for the center of your body. Look deep within your essence. You should eventually feel slight tugs one way or another. Once you can differentiate between the tugs you should be able to conjure a sphere of ki. It will likely take several tries since you have never worked with your ki before, but you'll get it. I'm going for a flight. I'll be back later."

Videl sat cross-legged on the grass, sweat bursting from her brow. It had taken nearly ninety minutes, but she finally produced a shimmering orb of ki. It had all clicked the moment she felt the tugs, the ones Gohan had discussed earlier. Following their insistent prodding, she channeled her life force into the shape she wanted. Two hours later, the teenaged crime fighter was still in the same spot, struggling to sustain the flow of energy. She flopped down on her back exhausted. For not moving, it sure had taken a lot of effort. The girl decided to take a break and gather her strength. If Videl Satan was one thing, she was determined, and if her new friend was able to use this ki thing at will, then she would be too!

The raven-haired girl also knew that the ability to fly was a vital cog in her ultimate plan. Plus, she always wanted to fly as high as the birds and soar across the sky. Sure, her father had always said flying was a trick for gullible children, but now she knew her father was nothing but a liar. She sighed deeply at that thought. It was unbelievable to think that just a few short weeks ago, she didn't believe it was possible to fly. She believed she had reached the pinnacle of her physical strength. Apparently though, the dark-haired girl hadn't even begun to tap into her well of potential. It was infuriating to think that years of unyielding determination might as well have been for naught.

After a few minutes, Videl felt some of her strength return to her, so she resumed her meditative pose, and cleared her mind. She was able to summon her energy much faster than before, and was even able to sustain a physical manifestation of her ki a bit longer. It completely drained her though, leaving her far more exhausted than before. She immediately fell unconscious from lack of energy.

Flying through the clouds, Gohan felt the wind whipping against the creases of his forehead. He just needed to get away from Videl for a little while. The girl was like a damned viral disease; the more time he spent with her, the more likely he was to feel the urge to regurgitate. All of this "friendliness" and "kindness" made him sick to the pit of his stomach. It was a simple mission: force her to be bait, protect her, find Coco. There were not supposed to be any attachments. He shouldn't have been surprised that the stubborn girl managed to pry some of his secrets out of him, especially given that he took her to his childhood abode, but how in the world did she manage to get him to teach her how to fly? He wanted to think it was because she knew he was Oxander Mao, the missing heir to the Ox Kingdom, but he knew himself better than that.

Sensing a familiar energy signal, Gohan stopped his flight, glaring at the spot where he knew his longtime mentor was waiting. As he approached the green warrior, he adopted an expectant look. He knew for Piccolo to abandon Videl that he a) must have a serious breakthrough and b) found somebody to watch over the mostly defenseless girl.

"What is it, Piccolo?" Gohan went jumped straight to the point, not wanting to leave Videl alone for too long, especially with her weakened by ki training.

"Hello to you too, kid," was his gruff response. The teenage boy gritted his teeth at that, knowing time was of the essence with his mother's killer potentially nearby.

He narrowed his coal eyes at his ex-mentor, and barely suppressed an annoyed growl as he begrudgingly dignified Piccolo's cold greeting with a retort, "Why are you here and not watching Videl? Who is watching her?" Gohan didn't actually care about the girl's well-being, but he'd be damned if Coco struck while neither he nor his ex-mentor were guarding the Satan girl. The entire plan would collapse upon itself if that were to happen.

"Relax, kid, I sent Vegeta to watch over-"

"YOU WHAT! Why? Why Vegeta?!" Gohan was literally besides himself. Of all the people, why Vegeta?! The man was likely the scariest living being on the entire planet.

"Relax, kid. I think I might have some information regarding Coco's whereabouts. Figured you'd be interested." Without another word, the Namekian warrior turned his back and blasted off at breakneck speeds towards the Lookout, knowing his former protege would follow hastily.

Gohan glanced back in the general direction of Mount Paozu, deciding to briefly explain himself to Videl first. He had, after all, left her alone when he was supposed to be protecting her.

It was exhilarating. That was the only possible way to describe the feeling. Videl stared down at the ground she was floating above in awe. It had taken her hours and Gohan had been gone for all of them! She was frustrated beyond belief with that boy, prince or not! Her reverie was suddenly broken by a grouchy sounding voice.

"Get down from there, idiot girl!" it called from the ground. "Do you want to be seen?"

Videl let out a blood-curdling shriek. A strange, evil-looking man had just sprung from the bushes. She felt it was an understandable reaction, especially given the past week.

"Who the hell are you?!" the Satan girl demanded in a firm yet shaking voice. She was Videl Satan, she didn't normally get scared, but with all of the stress of late, she didn't feel like Videl Satan of old.

"Foolish girl, are you trying to kill yourself? You are expending more energy than your body can handle. Stop trying to fly," the intruder retorted. "Would you like a sniper to spot you? You're acting like a newborn bird."

"Why don't you make me?" Videl dared him. Forget secrecy! She had just learned to fly, and it was wonderful. There was no way she was landing now. Besides, there was a potential assassin waiting for her on the grass below. No, she would stay up here where it was safe.

"Ignorant woman," the stranger swore through clenched teeth. "You're lucky I'm not allowed to hurt you."

"Why? Because Coco wants information from me?" she insisted.

"I wouldn't work for anyone with a name as ridiculous as that," the man sneered. "The green bean sent me to protect you."

It took the girl a second to work out just who he was referring to. Videl snorted. "You're lying."

"Don't be preposterous," the grounded man retorted.

"Prove it. What is the green guy's name?" Videl taunted. He wouldn't know. He couldn't know.

"Piccolo," he spat. "That bastard blackmailed me into babysitting you." Videl swore to herself. He knew. That meant that the strange man staring angrily up at her actually was here to help, and she had made an ass of herself.

"Underhanded trick to ask me in front of my wife," the man muttered under his breath, kicking the ground.

"Thank you for guarding me," Videl said with a smile, her attitude doing a complete 180.

"Silence brat," the formerly-presumed assassin shot back. The girl's smile faded.

"Will you at least tell me your name?" she asked.

"I am Vegeta, the prince of all -"

"Yes, yes, we know Vegeta," a new voice interjected, the owner of it landing on the grass beside him.

Videl turned to face the newcomer, subconsciously smiling when she saw her self-appointed protector standing there in the flesh. "Gohan, where did you go? You're supposed to protect me! How can you do that if you're not here?!

"Vegeta was here," the teenage boy protested.

"And the old man was supposed to help how?" she demanded to know. Vegeta visibly flinched at her choice of words.

"Control the brat or I will beat you in her stead," the violent man threatened Gohan.

"Bulma forbid you from beating up Videl, didn't she?" Gohan smirked, knowingly.

"No!" Vegeta lied, cheeks turning a delicate shade of purple.

"No need to fabricate some story for me, Vegeta, I won't tell anyone," the teen spoke, before turning to Videl. "Vegeta is a bit rough around the edges, but he's plenty strong enough to hold off any unwelcome visitors."

"His wife has him whipped..." Videl protested. Vegeta took to the air and flew straight to the teenage girl. His nose was mere inches from hers.

"My wife does not control my actions," he growled, ki hissing around his hands. Gohan snorted with laughter, and Vegeta changed targets dropping to the ground to stand in front of the boy.

"I can still beat you within an inch of your life, brat. Do not forget that." He poked the boy's chest threateningly. Gohan was unfazed.

"I'm stronger than you and you know it, Vegeta," he said, staring straight into the flame-haired warrior's onyx pools.

"When was the last time you trained, boy?" Vegeta said, with a hint of disappointment and anger lacing his words.

"It doesn't matter, you know how my strength operates. My power fluctuates with my emotions," the teenage boy contested, "And I'm simply not in the mood."

With that, Gohan spun around and stalked back into the house. Videl knew this would be her opportunity presented on a golden platter to enact her plan. She remembered Gohan speaking about Vegeta and his wife, Bulma Brief, while he was bawling his eyes out the previous day. If she could get Gohan away, it would do wonders.

Quickly, Videl landed on the ground and hurried after the boy. The moment she caught up to him she put on her best puppy-dog expression and said "Gohan? I miss my father. Now that I can fly, can I go for a visit? Alone?" Videl wasn't stupid. She knew Gohan would object, which is why Vegeta's appearance was so convenient.

"Why don't you want me to come, Videl?" Gohan asked, his head tilted slightly to the side in a confused fashion.

"Vegeta said Piccolo asked him to come so I assumed he had something to tell you, perhaps regarding Coco?" Videl had deduced some of that from her conversation with Vegeta, but she was purely spitballing with the rest, hoping to convince Gohan.

"You're right, Piccolo mentioned he had a lead," the raven-haired girl smirked triumphantly, "but I don't want to leave you alone. Go with Vegeta; he has a very ferocious temper as you may have noticed, but he's strong."

"Fine, Gohan. We'll go to my father's house and then return. Okay?"

Gohan could only nod in approval. As Videl turned around, he reached out and cupped her face. "Just be careful Videl. I'd never forgive myself if you got hurt when I should have been watching you. Watch your back, okay? "

Feeling his fingers lightly tracing her face, Videl was stunned. She had thought he was merely using her as bait, that she was just an annoyance, a nuisance, but he seemed to truly care for her. It almost made her feel bad for tricking him, but she was doing it for him.

"I will, Gohan. I promise. Go find out what lead Piccolo has, okay? I'll be fine. We want to catch Coco, right?"

Videl then surprised herself by wrapping her arms around Gohan's torso, bringing him in for a bone-crushing embrace. She sure was showing a ton of emotion lately. What was wrong with her! With a final glance and a smile, the black-haired vixen broke off the hug, going back outside. She heaved a sigh of relief as she stuck her head out the door. Vegeta hadn't flown off quite yet.

"Gohan mentioned that your wife is an inventor," she said casually, sauntering up to him. Vegeta grunted, which Videl took as a confirmation. "Do you think she might have anything that could help us track down someone?"

"Bulma invented a radar to locate each and every one of the Dragon Balls. A radar to track a lone person would be child's play," the warrior scoffed.

"Since you're here already, can you take me to meet her?" Videl asked.

"If it will save me another trip out to the godforsaken hut, then fine," he agreed.

Videl doubled back to inform Gohan of the situation. "Vegeta agreed. I'll be back tonight," she explained hastily, leaving before the spiky-haired teen could ask any questions.

She smirked as she ran back outside to where Vegeta was waiting, impatiently tapping his foot. Now she had an alibi for the next several hours. As she and the battle-hardened warrior shot off towards West City, the last thing she saw was a gold streak disappearing.

As they landed outside the magnificent abode of Earth's richest woman, Videl felt her nerves acting up once again. She was really going through with this crazy plan. She was deceiving two of the strongest men on the planet. It probably was not the smartest idea to do, but both of them would forgive her in the end; scratch that, she didn't care if the stubborn man next to her forgave her as long as he didn't hurt her. Videl followed behind Vegeta as the intimidating fighter barged in the front doors of Capsule Corporation Headquarters, slightly surprised at his audacity even if he was involved with Bulma Brief.

"Woman! Where are you!?" her companion hollered into the deafening silence of the building.

"What has your panties in a bunch?" his wife demanded from a room nearly adjacent to theirs. Videl watched on silently as the beautiful woman in her early forties appeared. She appeared no older than 30, though, with gorgeous, crystal blue locks, tight-fitting attire, and a beautiful necklace.

"This," he spat, pointing to a suddenly sheepish Videl. She waved awkwardly.

"Well?" the grouchy warrior asked the girl impatiently. "Didn't you have a reason for coming here?" It was clear that he wanted her to get to the point and get out.

Before Videl could respond to Vegeta's demand, two small boys walked in.

"Hey Mom, Dad, who is this?" both of them simultaneously asked the two adults, ignoring the look of brief shock plastered to Videl's face.

As the question made sense to her, the girl quickly shook off her daze and smiled at them. She dropped to her knees to be at the boys' level. Eyes fixed on the spiky-haired child, Videl addressed him calmly. "My name is Videl. You must be Goten."

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed it.<strong>


	12. Target

**This chapter is brought to you by DarkVoid116, Kalebxdd, and Kanotari**

**Disclaimer : TDS does not own DBZ.**

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><p>"Mommy, who is this woman?" little Goten whispered. The boy took a step back and tried to hide for cover behind his "mother's" leg, his small hands clutched around a big teddy bear. His wide eyes darted between his parents and brother. "And how does she know my name?"<p>

Videl tried her best to smile the happiest and friendliest smile that she could muster.

"My name is Videl," the teen spoke in a sugar-coated voice. "Your daddy brought me over here. I wanted to have a little talk with you."

"And what might that talk be about?" Vegeta growled from behind Videl. The little crime fighter felt a shiver down her spine. _Man, that guy gave her the creeps!_ Still, she couldn't blame him for his well-placed and poorly hidden anger, considering the circumstances.

"T-That's not important for you to know!" Videl stammered, trying in vain to truncate Vegeta's sudden nosiness. The girl expected the worst of the worst, that Vegeta would get angry for real this time. That he would start yelling, screaming and hell, maybe even blow her up. It wasn't until Bulma joined in on the discussion that Videl finally let out the breath she had unwillingly been holding in.

"Well, I think that it is important for us to know," the blue-haired genius said as she folded her arms across her chest. Videl tensed again at the mother's words. "You can't expect us to have some unknown girl barge into our household and then proceed to interview my son."

"Yeah, lady!" Trunks shouted from behind the safe barricade that was his father, "Why don't you go ahead and beat it?! My little brother doesn't want to talk to you!"

Videl could feel her stomach drop like a brick. She had figured that it wouldn't be easy to persuade Bulma and Vegeta to let her talk to Goten, but she didn't exactly anticipate a united family front against her. Videl felt herself sweating bullets as she struggled to come up with the proper words.

"I..I.." the girl stuttered, her eyes nearly glued to the expensive carpet beneath her feet. She nearly jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Videl heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that it was Bulma's hand, and that the mother's eyes were soft and kind.

"Why don't you sit down, sweetie? You look like you haven't slept properly in days," the head of Capsule Corp said. "I'll go put on some water and make you a nice, refreshing cup of hot tea."

With that Bulma left the kitchen whilst whistling a happy tune. Videl did as she was told and sat herself down in one of the comfortable armchairs that the room had to offer. The over-priced velour cushions weren't able to take away her anxiety as she felt Vegeta's eyes drilling in the back of her skull.

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><p>Gohan started to lower his speed as the giant white structure came into view. He could barely contain himself as he spotted two small green dots on the edge of the Lookout. He wanted to know what his friends on the lookout could tell him about Coco. Any little shred of information, every tiny little detail brought him closer to finding that rotten bastard of an assassin. Gohan felt his heart soar as he imagined himself standing in front of the cold-blooded killer , the search over at last. Coco's end would be a tragic and mostly painful one, that was a certainty.<p>

But just because I want to hurt him doesn't mean that I'm a bad person, right? Gohan silently contemplated.

The demi-Saiyan touched ground a few feet in front of the two Namekians and walked over as casually as possible. He didn't want Piccolo and Dende to see his killing intent. What would they think of him?

"Hey brat," Piccolo grunted as an acknowledgement of Gohan's presence. "I take it that you're here for the information on Coco and the RabitGrass?"

Gohan merely rolled his eyes. "Ah, you seem to know me so well." he chuckled. "Of course I am here to hear what you have to say. So spill the beans, green bean!"

"Now Gohan, there's no need to get disrespectful," Dende tried to butt in, but the smaller Namekian fell silent when he noticed Piccolo's look of disapproval.

"Never mind the kid, kid. He lost his manners many years back when he lost his sanity," the spawn of the Demon King sighed. He ignored the offended protest coming from Gohan.

"Quiet down, brat!" Piccolo snapped. "I'm trying to supply you with important information here! At least have the common decency to shut up when I'm talking!"

Gohan abruptly fell silent and stared at the white tiles beneath his feet in shame. Piccolo was right. He had lost his proper manners while trying to find Coco these past seven years. The Ox Prince was ashamed of himself for talking to his former mentor like that.

"I'm sorry," Gohan apologized. "It wasn't my intention to be so rude. My apologies. could please tell me what you found out about Coco?"

Piccolo gave a satisfied nod and turned to Dende. The Guardian of the Earth cleared his throat before speaking.

"We haven't found anything about Coco himself, sorry to disappoint you. But we do know the location of one of the RabitGrass members. After a bit of snooping around the globe we found one of Coco's henchmen living in Satan City."

Gohan cracked his knuckles in anticipation. "Okay, so what does this guy look like so I can find him?"

"Her," Dende corrected. "The person we found is a she, Gohan."

Piccolo took over for the Guardian of Earth. "Her name is Bahia Rhizoma. She lives in an apartment on the outskirts of Satan City with only her elderly grandmother to keep her company. She doesn't seem like a cold-blooded killer to the untrained eye, but behind those pearly whites lies a deep hunger for death and bloodshed. She's absolutely stone-cold and there's nothing that she won't do to take out a hit. You can recognize her by RabitGrass tattoo just above her left breast."

"Got it," Gohan mumbled as he processed the information given. "Well then, if that is all then I'm going to take my leave."

"Yeah, that's all we got for you at the moment, kid," Piccolo said. "Good luck and try not to get yourself killed, okay?"

Gohan gave a small nod and waved to the Namekians. In a split second, he blasted into the skies and soared through the clouds, heading for Satan City.

* * *

><p>The anticipation was eating Videl inside. She could feel the intense heat radiating from Vegeta's body. Since she had declared her intention to talk to Goten, the warrior had not let her leave his sight. The crimefighter craned her neck, looking to see where Bulma had gone. She legitimately could not wait for her tea to be ready; it would give her a temporary distraction from the piercing gaze of the overprotective "father".<p>

Videl was disgusted that these two people were perfectly okay continuing this facade. They knew that the spiky-haired child was not truly theirs and that he had living kin, yet they allowed him to believe otherwise. It made her want to wretch.

Did they not know how much emotional turmoil they had put her friend through? He was beating himself up; it was visibly eating him alive. Gohan knew he couldn't ruin this happy little arrangement until he could adequately support his little brother, but that didn't make him feel better.

This whole situation made Videl long to bury Coco six feet under. She saw herself as a moral person. She knew murder was wrong. In Coco's case, however, it seemed so right.

To the teen's great relief, Bulma waltzed into the room pushing a little cart laden with a tea pot and sandwiches. "One lump or two?" the blue-haired genius inquired. Vegeta muttered something about giving the "conniving wench" as many lumps as she wanted.

"Just one," Videl responded pulling anxiously at the collar of her shirt. "Thank you."

Bulma handed the girl her tea, elbowing her rude husband. "Now what was this about questioning Goten?"

Videl squirmed in her chair, still conscious of Vegeta's inquisitive gaze and violent tendencies. The kindly mother followed the girl's line of sight. Then, without warning, the blue-haired woman dropped the platter of sandwiches right on the floor. Videl was puzzled; Bulma's actions looked intentional.

"Clumsy me," she giggled. "Vegeta, would you go fetch us some more?"

"You're asking me to cook, woman?" the Saiyan demanded incredulously.

"I'm not stupid. There's another platter in the fridge."

Vegeta stormed off, muttering angrily.

"Now quickly, while he's preoccupied!" Bulma insisted as soon as her husband was out of earshot. "Tell me why you're here."

"Gohan is suffering because he can't be a part of his brother's life so I want to take Goten to meet him," Videl blurted in one breath, hurrying to finish her sentence before the frightening warrior returned.

"You do know that Gohan is not going to like this, right?"

Videl wanted to slap Bulma for such a stupid question! Of course she knew the potential repercussions of her actions! She was a crimefighter; planning ahead was a matter of survival!

"I'm hoping the possible benefits will outweigh the negatives."

"Okay then, sweetie. I've been wanting to get those boys together for a while. Maybe seeing his brother will cheer Gohan up. I'll try to keep Vegeta calm." Bulma was nonchalant. Videl did not share her confidence. Her nerves gnawed her stomach as they waited for Vegeta to return. How the heck was Bulma able to keep so calm with someone like Vegeta around her all day?

When she heard the soft click of the door unlocking, Videl felt like diving behind a piece of furniture. Yet, she had a goal today and nothing was going to get in her way. The girl´s perfectly trimmed nails dug into the velour armrest as Vegeta entered the room again, carrying a silver platter filled with sandwiches that made Videl´s mouth water.

The Saiyan prince slammed the sandwiches onto the coffee table. Vegeta then turned to Videl and folded his arms in front of his chest. It was intimidating, to say the least. "So, girl, tell me: what do you want from me and my family?"

"I... I..." Videl stammered. _Damn it!_ she thought. Why was she stuttering? Was she incapable of speaking in this man's presence?

"She wants to take Goten to meet Gohan," Bulma interjected, nipping the problem in the bud.

"She will do no such thing," Vegeta declared, baring his teeth at the frightened teen.

"Oh calm down, you overprotective nutcase," Bulma scoffed. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"What's the worst that could happen?" Vegeta started to laugh darkly. "Well, she wants to take our kin to go visit a deranged lunatic! Do you understand the kind of state Gohan is in right now? If you honestly think sending Goten to him right now is a brilliant idea, your status as the smartest woman on the mudball should be promptly revoked."

"Gohan is perfectly sane, dear. A bit moody and abrasive, yes, but perfectly sane." Bulma tried to sweet talk the situation. "And remember, Vegeta, you're a Saiyan. Wasn't it you who told me that family ties are the most sacred of bonds in the Saiyan culture? Wasn't it you that told me that if anyone had the nerve to touch your family, they would suffer a long and painful demise? Don't you remember all those long talks we had and the way you opened up to me? When you showed me that soft side of you that resides deep within the confines of your tiny little heart? If there's one person that knows the value of family it's you, Vegeta. And now you seriously want to go and tell me that Goten isn't allowed to meet the one and only true family member that he still has?"

Vegeta diverted his gaze to the carpet as the words sank into his brain. The Saiyan Prince sighed and lowered his head in defeat. "Fine," he muttered under his breath. "The girl can take Gohan," but then in a louder voice, "but I'm going too."

Bulma kissed her husband on the cheek. It was plain as day that she was proud of him.

Vegeta gave an annoyed groan and pushed Bulma away. He then turned to Videl. "I hope that you understand that I am trusting you with my brat's life. So try not to fuck him up too badly, understood?"

Videl tried her hardest to avoid the man's cold stare as she muttered a barely audible "Understood."

With that the blue-haired beauty walked out of the room, her high heels tapping out a rhythm. Videl could hear her call Goten from down the hall.

_Now all I have to do is figure out what to tell Goten!_ Videl thought to herself with relief. And what the hell is a Saiyan, anyway?

* * *

><p>Gohan landed on the roof of the apartment building and proceeded to walk down the stairs, searching for Bahia's apartment. On the way, he studied some of the features of the building, wondering if the small cracks and dents in the architecture could give him any additional details on Bahia.<p>

It didn't take Gohan long to find Bahia's residence. His Saiyan ears perked as he stood before the door, trying to pick up any sounds coming from inside the apartment. He pressed an ear to the wooden surface. It was silent. The hunter reached for the doorknob and was surprised to find it unlocked.

Gohan closed the door behind him and let his eyes scan the room. The place was meticulously clean, causing the demi-Saiyan to reason that the apartment had been occupied not so long ago. His eyes widened slightly as they fell on the wall to his right.

Dozens and dozens of newspaper articles had been cut and and taped to the wall. All of them bore headlines with a photo of Videl underneath them. Several of the photos had been circled in red marker, with the word "TARGET" written below. Handwritten notes about the girl's background and habits were taped next to them. Bahia was leaving a message, clear as day. She was going to kill Videl Satan.

Gohan made a small lap through the apartment in search for other clues of Bahia's possible whereabouts. As he walked past the coffee table the Demi-Saiyan noticed the many different booklets sprawled across them. Also, he noticed a photograph.

Gohan picked up the photograph and studied it intently. So this was Bahia. It was just as Piccolo said; she looked like pure innocence herself. The woman's pretty smile and soft hazel eyes made her look like somewhat of a motherly figure. It was hard to believe that the heart of somebody so seemingly harmless could be filled with death and bloodlust.

There was another woman depicted on the photograph as well. it was an elderly woman unknown to Gohan. The teen reasoned to himself that this must be Bahia's elderly grandmother. If she lived in this apartment, did she know what her granddaughter was up to on a daily basis?

Gohan put back the photograph and took a hold of two of the small booklets. The Ox Prince raised an eyebrow quizzically as he read the word 'diary' on the bigger of the two. The other bore no label, so he flipped it open.

The pages were filled with scribbled notes and details about Bahia's targets, and not just about Videl. It contained addresses, phone numbers, social security info, favorite color, you name it. Gohan weighed the book in his hand, conscious of the fact that the sniper could return at any moment. It would take too much time to read the whole thing, so he tossed it aside and moved on to the diary.

The teenager flipped open to one of the final pages. His eyes widened slightly as he read several of the written passages.

Today has been a rather productive day. Two hits. Got the money already. In other news, Grandmother is starting to get on my nerves lately. She keeps complaining about how dirty the apartment is and telling me that I should take more responsibility. I wonder what would happen if she "accidentally" slipped in the bathroom...

Gohan's mouth fell agape. Did Bahia really murder her own grandmother? He glanced down the hallway, morbidly curious. The Demi-Saiyan flipped to the last page, dated that day. Only four words were scratched below.

Videl Satan, Mount Paozu.

"You're going to come with me for a little while, Goten," Videl explained, extending her hand to the seven-year-old.

She gazed into those ever-familiar onyx orbs, appreciating the similarities between the brothers.  
>Goten recoiled slightly, shifting his apprehensive gaze to Videl's soft, delicate hand. It was clear that he was extremely uncomfortable about the situation. She understood; who wouldn't be? She was basically asking him to put his complete trust in somebody he'd just met.<p>

"Why should I go with you, Miss?" Videl had to admit, his manners was absolutely adorable. She then refocused, realizing she had no answer. What do you tell a seven year old kid to convince him to come with you? Then it clicked. Maybe his appetite was as big as his brother's.

"I know a really awesome spot where we can get something delicious to eat. What do you say?" She hoped beyond hope that this would work. She had no other cards to play. If this didn't convince him, then she would have to rely on his surrogate mother's persuasive skills, and honestly, she wasn't sure how good those were when it came to anybody except Vegeta.

Goten's face immediately lit up brighter than the sun. "Food?" he questioned excitedly. "I love food!" It warmed Videl's heart to see the kid so cheery and joyous; she knew Gohan would forgive her for going behind his back when he finally got to meet his brother.

She vaguely heard Goten enthusiastically explaining the situation to his "parents." The Satan girl mentally vomited every time she heard the little Ox Prince refer to Bulma and Vegeta as his parents. Videl was broken free of her thoughts when the jubilant black-haired kid returned, grabbing hold of her hand.

With a wave to Bulma, Goten took to the air. Vegeta joined him, leading the boy off into the horizon. Videl quickly summoned her energy and began following at a considerably slower speed. Together, the trio flew through the skies towards Mount Paozu.

* * *

><p>Gohan was mad. Scratch that; he was furious. After he had left Bahia's home, the teenage Saiyan had extended his ki senses, looking for Videl.<p>

Since he was already in Satan City, he might as well escort her home from her father's. His first guess is that Vegeta had taken her to Capsule Corp in West City, though he couldn't decide why. There were two issues with that theory, however. Firstly, Gohan had visited Hercule Satan, who, after much yelling, had divulged that he hadn't seen his daughter since she "eloped."

Secondly, Videl's ki was on its way back to Mount Paozu, and it wasn't alone. How dare she! It was bad enough that she put herself in danger by lying to him. It was utterly inexcusable to put Goten in that same danger. Gohan kicked himself for trusting her.

All of this culminated in the current situation: the missing Ox Prince was high-tailing it back to Mount Paozu, intent on murdering a certain teenage girl before Coco's goons had a chance.

* * *

><p><em>Where is the scary lady taking me?<em> was the basic question running through Goten's mind. After he had left his home, his ki senses had alerted him to his Daddy following them.

Once his dad had caught up to him and Videl, the trio had flown alongside one another all the way to their destination - although Goten didn't know where that was. He just followed them.

They had landed a few minutes later outside a small, yellow dome. Goten observed his surroundings for several moments. He had never been outside of West City except for training with his brother and daddy. As a Saiyan prince, he knew that he was supposed to think trivial things were beneath him. Still, he couldn't help but admire the beautiful nature surrounding him.

Goten brought his observations full circle in time to see his his father beckoning for him to enter the house. Stepping through the narrow entryway, the young boy noticed that the walls were barren; there was not even a single picture. He thought it was odd that it was ordinary for a house to not be decorated wall to wall with expensive garnishes and luxuries. It was all the young demi-Saiyan knew, after all.

His father and the woman, who called herself Videl, were talking in the other room, so Goten decided to do some snooping. He wholeheartedly trusted his father, but Videl was another story.

He quickly spied a small picture frame. Picking it up, he gasped lightly. It was the man he and Trunks had seen at home! How did this Videl girl know him?

With questions swirling through his head, Goten's ki senses were relaxed. Had he kept his senses sharp, he probably would have noticed the astronomical power - one way too high for a human - currently travelling at break-neck speeds towards his location. As it was, he was alerted to the impending danger by the front door barging open and an intruder screaming "VIDEL!" for the heavens to hear.

* * *

><p>"VIDEL!" Gohan roared, simultaneously ripping the front door off its hinges. He noticed his little brother out of the corner of his eye. The poor kid looked absolutely terrified. Gohan paused and calmed down, allowing himself to unwind. He needed to relax or he really would kill Videl before Coco could get to her.<p>

He allowed his gaze to linger on Goten for a few moments, taking mental pictures of the youngster. He was snapped out of his thoughts by an unnaturally sweet voice.

"Hi Gohan, what's up?" Videl asked. Gohan was doing his best to keep his emotions in check, but here she was, acting as if she hadn't done anything wrong. It was not helping.

"Videl, we need to talk. _Now_." He seized her wrist, pulling her into the bathroom. He then turned on the shower so they could talk without being overheard.

"What the hell did you think you were doing? Taking Goten with you while you are a target for the world's greatest assassin. Are you fucking crazy?"

"Well sorry for trying to brighten your day a little!" Videl snapped back, her voice laced with sarcasm. "I thought that you'd be happy to see Goten! I went through all kinds of trouble to get the little kid here and all you do is scream at me!"

"That's not the issue here! You told me that you would be at your father's all day and yet you go and do the complete opposite! You are being hunted down by by an assassin who has managed to evade capture for years! Can't you work up the brainpower to discover how moronic you're acting? Coco's new henchman knows we are here and is probably lurking nearby! You are putting everyone in danger!"

Videl placed her hands on her hips and stuck up her nose. "Why should you be worried when I have somebody like Vegeta around to protect me from all harm?" she demanded.

"Like Vegeta worries about your well-being. All he wants to do is make sure that you don't kidnap Goten. He couldn't care less if you were gunned down at the spot."

"Can we please have this fight another time? Your brother is waiting for you."

Gohan growled in frustration. Still, no matter how mad he was at the moment, Videl was right. Goten was on the other side of the door and he had to keep an eye on him at all times. The half-blood opened the door and immediately felt his heart rise when he saw the little boy staring back at him with the sweetest pair of eyes he had ever seen.

"Hi Goten." Gohan said as he sank through his knees, meeting the young Saiyan child on his own eye level. "My name is Gohan."

* * *

><p>Bahia cracked her knuckles before placing the rifle on her shoulder. It had taken weeks to track down her latest target, but now she had it in her sights. It was a piece of cake from here, nothing too big. What was a very big thing, on the other hand, was the target herself.<p>

She had never thought that one day she would be trying to gun down Videl Satan herself. Bahia didn't like the idea of having to kill such an influential women, but when Coco had added a few extra zeros to her paycheck, she caved. Ah... the things she'd do for money.

Bahia felt her heart skip a beat as she watched Videl through the sight of her gun. She placed her index finger on the trigger and held her breath. Money was nice, but nothing could thrill her more than moments like these. She loved the exhilarating feeling of deciding whether someone lives or dies, of having their life in her hands. It made her blood rush when she pulled the trigger and making rivers of blood cascade down on the earth. Some people would call her a psychopath. She liked to view it as a healthy dedication to the job.

And then Videl disappeared from her sight. "Shit!" Bahia hissed softly. Why did the Satan girl need to move and ruin her shot? And who was that boy she was with anyway? He looked like the person the newspapers had described to be her new boyfriend.

Bahia perked up as she heard the front door to the little house opening. So they were going outside now? Good, it would be a clearer shot. She placed her finger on the trigger once more and waited for someone to step out the door.

"Now I have you!" Bahia whispered triumphantly when she finally caught something through her scope. Adrenaline rushed through her veins as she pulled the trigger. The loud bang was like music to her ears. With a satisfied smirk the woman got up and casually swung her rifle over her shoulder. She fished a small mobile phone out of her pocket and hit '1' on speed dial.

The phone rang twice before a faint greeting was heard from the other end of the line.

"Hello Master,' Bahia spoke, "Mission accomplished. The target has been eliminated."


	13. Chapter 13

****This chapter is brought to you by DarkVoid116, Kalebxdd, and Kanotari****

"Come on Goten, what do you say?" Gohan asked, placing a hand on the young boy's shoulder. "How about we go outside so you can play a bit?"

"Can we have something to eat as well?" Goten asked with eyes sparkling in anticipation of food. His brother chuckled. He definitely had Saiyan blood flowing through his veins.

"Sure we can, squirt," Gohan replied. He tousled the boy's black locks. "Why don't you go ahead and run outside? Videl and I will be right with you."

"Okay!" Goten cheered before running for the door. Gohan looked at the kid with a smile from ear to ear. After so many years, the chronically depressed teenager finally had the opportunity to spend some quality time with his little brother. It made his heart soar for what felt like the first time in forever. The brooding teen felt truly happy for the first time in eight long years as he saw his brother sprint out the door, slamming it with strength representative of the excitement of the situation.

BANG!

Gohan's head snapped toward the door just in time to watch Goten collapse. "NO!" he screamed, running over to the tiny body sprawled on the grass. He knelt down by the boy and inspected him, trying to find any scratch on the kid. There was a bloody gash on Goten's forehead. The boy's brother could feel his blood starting to boil. The bullet itself was lodged in Goten's chest, right over the heart. Gohan had never felt more grateful for their father's Saiyan blood; it was the only reason Goten was still breathing.

Bahia was behind this, Gohan was dead certain of that. The demi-Saiyan couldn't believe he had let his anger cloud his senses. If he wasn't so mad at Videl, he would have sensed the sniper, no doubt about it. She would be dead and Goten would be just fine. He could feel his body starting to tremble with rage. That callous bitch was hiding around here somewhere and he would find her no matter what. His little brother, his only remaining relative, the one person that his entire existence revolved around, had been shot. Like Gohan cared that the bullet wasn't meant for Goten.

Gohan was temporarily snapped out of his rage when he heard a groan escape the little boy on the ground. He leaned over to inspect the boy's physical condition.

"Goten!" Gohan whispered, "I'm here." The small demi-Saiyan opened his eyes groggily. Soft and lengthened wheezing sounds escaped the small demi-Saiyan with each exhale. His clothes were soaked in blood, their red color affecting Gohan like a red cloth does a furious bull. The pain from the gunshot started to penetrate his body, and his eyes watered up. Then the wailing began. Gohan could only watch as his defenseless brother rolled across the ground, screaming in pain and agony.

Gohan looked upon sensing Vegeta descending to the ground nearby. The door slammed open and Videl came running towards them as well. Vegeta pushed Gohan aside and knelt by Goten's tiny body. Videl, on the other hand, tried to comfort her self-appointed bodyguard.

"Gohan..." she spoke, her petite hand reaching out for the Ox Prince's shoulder. "I'm sure he'll be fine. We just have to-"

She was silenced by a feral growl originating from somewhere deep within Gohan's throat. The demi-Saiyan slammed his fists on the ground and uttered a heart-wrenching scream, full of anger and hurt.

"I will get her for what she did to you!" Gohan hissed through gritted teeth, his gaze not leaving his little brother. "And I will make her pay for her actions! She'll regret the day that she ever pulled the trigger!"

Goten uttered a pained wail and his brother flew to his aid. The Prince of Saiyans extended an arm, barring his way.

"Find the one responsible for this! Goten will be safe with me."

The teen shoved his arm out of the way and knelt by his brother, gingerly wiping fresh blood from the boy's eye.

"You're losing control, brat," Vegeta warned, grasping Gohan's shoulder in a undeniable vice. "You might hurt him. Kill the sniper, and come back. I'll watch after him."

Gohan knew Vegeta was right. The demi-Saiyan took to the skies, stopping just above the tree line. A quick search of the surrounding forest revealed nothing. It was as though Bahia had simply vanished into thin air. In his impatience, he succumbed to his rage, giving it free reign. Flashes of teal started to appear in place of the teenager's usual onyx irises. His jet-black locks reached for the skies and turned to gold. Gusts of wind started to whip up, straining the trees below. The skies turned dark and bolts of lightning illuminated the air, giving the entire scene a gloomy and dark atmosphere.

"Bahia, I want you to listen up!" Gohan hollered. His voice echoed across the mountain. "I know you're out there somewhere! I'm going to give you ONE chance to reveal yourself and maybe you can get off easily."

Gohan perked his Saiyan ears and used his enhanced sight to scan the area, searching for any sign of the sniper. He growled in frustration when he found absolutely nothing.

"We can play this two ways. Either you show yourself now..."

With each and every word he spoke, Gohan could feel his anger growing. His heartbeat raced and his ki spiked dangerously.

"...or I will hunt you down myself! If I do that, I'm afraid things might get really, really ugly! Now you don't want that to happen, now do you?" Gohan waited for a reply, any sign from Bahia. It was all he could do to not tear the forest to shreds in a fit of impatience. When after a whole minute passed and he still hadn't gotten his way, he lost control.

"The clock is ticking, Bahia!" the demi-Saiyan shouted, a tad hysterical. With each passing second, his rage intensified. He could feel his Super Saiyan power being fueled by his anger, the sensation surging through him and making him feel more alive than ever. Winds swirled dangerously as the teen's ki swelled to superhuman magnitude, buffeting the forest below. The trees strained against the demi-Saiyan's might. The teenager dug his nails into his palms as he gave Bahia one final warning.

"LAST CHANCE!" Gohan's shouting had turned into downright screaming.

No reply.

That was it! Bahia had taken it too far! First that rotten scum shot his little brother and now she had been given a fair chance to reveal herself, and she didn't. Somewhere deep inside Gohan, something snapped. His rage had reached boiling point and all shreds of sympathy had disappeared. Gohan knew what he would do if he got too furious, but he didn't care at the moment. He wasn't going to hold back now. A familiar yet somewhat frightening feeling gnawed at his insides, waiting to be released. The demi-Saiyan was too angry to stop it from taking control of him.

New power seeped its way into Gohan's system like adrenaline in his bloodstream. He screamed in anger as the new power took full control of him, giving him strength beyond his wildest imagination.

"Did you really think that I would let you get away with what you just did? I swear to the Otherworld itself that I will find you! I will end your pathetic life just like you've ended so many innocent lives before!"

The sky was completely black now, the only light coming from bolts of thunder. The strong gusts became a downright hurricane as a golden glow surrounded the teenager in the air. Little crackles of electricity enveloped him and gave him an even more menacing look. His golden locks turned thicker and even grew a little longer. His bulging muscles thickened even more as the transformation reached the point of completion.

Gohan wasn't the only one undergoing transformation. Trees were being ripped from soil, their roots not strong enough to keep them anchored against the howling wind. Mountains started to crumble and the sky turned pitch black as if it was an omen of the effects of Gohan's uncontrollable rage.

The Ox Prince breathed deeply and heavily as he felt his body adjusting to the power surging through him. It felt familiar, somewhat like an old friend. As he felt his body come to peace with the force in his being he looked down at the earth below and cracked a little smile.

In a flash Gohan bolted down towards the ground below. His feet touched soil and he dashed through the maze of thick trees with a speed that even the keenest of eyes couldn't track. The Saiyan's smile turned into a satisfied grin as he explored his newfound capabilities. This sensation made him feel more alive than anything before. It was the same feeling he felt when he battled Cell. Somewhere deep inside, he felt somewhat guilty for absolutely loving the thrill of beating the android beyond recognition. This feeling was like a drug to him, and certainly a dangerous one. Once he had his first whiff he was unable to stop. Bahia better keep her hopes up and pray to her Lord and Savior that the tiny little shred of decency inside of Gohan would prevent him from murdering her at the spot.

Gohan continued his speed run through the forest, skimming hectares of wood in a matter of seconds. After making a left turn and sprinting a few hundred yard forward, Gohan smelt something familiar. The scent still lingered on his nostrils from the day that he had stopped the bank robbery.

Gunpowder.

The demi-Saiyan ran towards the source of the scent at inhuman speed. After he dashed past a row of trees a woman fell in his sight. She matched Bahia's description and was clutching a sniper rifle to her chest. Both were dead giveaways. Before the woman even noticed her assailant, she was pinned against a tree with an iron-strong fist wrapped around her throat.

Fight or flight kicked in as Bahia tried to break free of her attacker's chokehold, but it was to no avail. Her kicking and clawing had no effect at all, leaving her to await her imminent doom.

Gohan had to use every little scrap of self-control he could muster to not snap the sniper in half. Yes, the bitch had shot his little brother and he was beyond furious about it, but this woman might have intel on Coco. And Gohan was going to need every little bit of information he could get.

He brought his face dangerously close to Bahia's, his lips nearly touching her ear. His whispers were low, hissed through gritted teeth.

"Do you have any idea what you did wrong?" Gohan demanded. "Do you have any idea what you caused, why I'm so furious?"

It sounded like Bahia wanted to reply, but she was too busy suffocating. All that came out were strangled gasps.

"Ah, take it easy now," Gohan spoke. "You don't want to over excite yourself, now do you? Let's try it like this: every time I ask you a question, you try to gasp for air. One wheeze for yes, two for no. Do you think you can handle that?"

Cheeky even in defeat, Bahia remained silent.

"I said," Gohan growled, "do you think you can do that?"

It took Bahia a few seconds, but Gohan finally heard a faint gurgle from the assassin's throat.

"That wasn't hard, now was it?" Gohan grunted, happy to see that Bahia was finally complying. "Now I'm going to ask you again, do you know what you did wrong?"

Two wheezes.

"Really?" Gohan asked, a little impressed that the sniper still had the willpower to be a smart aleck. "Well then, let me tell you exactly what got you into this uncomfortable situation. You went to Mount Paozu on a mission to kill Videl Satan. You thought you did a clean job and that your boss Coco was going to reward you. Unfortunately for you my little brother was in the way of your bullet and now he is struggling for his life! You nearly killed my only remaining family and now you're pinned against a tree, gasping for air, feeling the life flow out of you. There is only one way out of this situation: cooperate with me."

One wheeze.

Gohan released his death grip on Bahia's throat and the woman collapsed to the ground, gulping air as if it were the most precious thing in the universe. The demi-Saiyan sank to his knees to meet the assassin at eye level.

"Now tell me everything you know about Coco and his whereabouts."

Bahia was still coughing her lungs out as Gohan waited for a reply. The assassin's face had lost its blue tint and had shifted to a deep shade of red.

"I-I," Bahia stammered, barely managing to form words in between her coughs and pants. "I can't tell you."

"WHAT?!" Gohan hissed through gritted teeth. Bahia immediately raised her hands in defense.

"No, no, no!" the woman pleaded raspily. "I don't mean it like that! I can't tell you where my boss is because I don't _know_ where he is!"

Gohan could feel the veins in his temple starting to pulsate as his frustration grew. His fingers started to tingle, the desire to wrap them around Bahia's throat again intensifying. Little cracks of lightning started to appear around the Ox Prince again as he tried to contain himself.

"Okay, let's say that I believe you and you have no idea where the hell Coco is hiding out," Gohan began. "What else can you tell me about Coco, anything at all? His personality? His background? You must know something. The man has to pay you."

Bahia swallowed the lump in her throat before speaking.

"I don't know. After I take out a target, I call him to tell him that the job is done. He hangs up without saying a word. By the time I get home, the money is already in my bank account. I tried tracing the bank account back to the user by their IP address, but the only significant intel I can get is that the money transfer is done from the vicinity of North City."

"Why would you trace Coco's IP?"

"How stupid do you think I am?" Bahia demanded hoarsely as a raspy cough wracked her body, sending tremors of pain through her. "I do have brains, you know. I have never seen the man himself and I've only heard his voice twice. I'm not foolish enough to gun people down without knowing who's giving the commands."

The teenage Saiyan suppressed a growl as he was reminded that the woman at his mercy shot his sole remaining relative. The air surrounding the Ox Prince began to swirl, electric sparks outlining his intimidating aura. The dirt of the forest clearing began to whip up, some of it pistoning into Bahia's eyes.

The ascended Super Saiyan narrowed his eyes at the sniper, fixing her with a menacing gaze before speaking. "So, that's it? You reached a dead end, so you gave up? The fact that you honestly expected me to believe that is nothing short of hilarious." He noticed with glee that beads of sweat began rolling down the woman's forehead; it was obvious his intimidation tactics were working wonders.

"B-but it's true!" Her voice was shaky, and the poorly hidden fear oozed through to the surface. Gohan noticed that her palms were sweaty and shaking. He gave a slightly amused chuckle when Bahia attempted to waft dirt into his eyes. He just powered up even further, instantly electrocuting any particles that neared him.

Looking down on the stunned killer, Gohan smirked triumphantly. He had her trapped, and it was clear she was afraid for her life. The estranged prince had no desire to destroy the entire forest. He took a deep breath and focused on controlling his emotions. The lightning began to dissipate, leaving an angry Super Saiyan in its wake.

Spitting on the ground in disgust, "Saiya" gave the disgraced hitwoman one final warning, before taking off to tend to his brother:

"If I ever see you near Mount Paozu again, I will not hesitate to rip you limb from limb, then feed you to my pet dragon. Remember, I can sense you. I can find you wherever you are. Understood?"

The enraged prince watched with an emotionless facade as the terrified woman scampered away like a squirrel, vanishing from sight.

* * *

><p>Everything happened so fast. One moment, Gohan was right by her side. The next, he was tending to his wounded brother. Now... her bodyguard could be anywhere.<p>

Videl mentally berated herself for letting the child get caught in the crossfire. How stupid could she have been? Of course someone would have tracked her down by now; news would have spread about her row with her father. People already knew about her "boyfriend." With the assassination attempt public knowledge, it shouldn't have surprised anybody that she flew the coop. Someone would eventually have thought to check the deserted Ox Kingdom.

And of course she, being the genius she was, had unintentionally brought Goten straight to the assassins. Goten wasn't the original target, but so what? All the dark-haired girl knew was that her stupidity and foolishness had jeopardized his life. This was her fault.

Videl glanced at Vegeta. His face was strained and his knuckles white as a ghost. The adoptive father held a ripped piece of Goten's shirt over the gaping wound, applying pressure to stop the bleeding. With his adrenaline-fueled strength, it was a delicate operation. It was clear the flame-haired warrior had a bond with Goten, but the Satan girl would never have suspected this reaction. Vegeta didn't exactly seem like the type to display his emotions openly.

Videl broke out of her reverie when Goten hacked up a lungful of blood. A wave of painful emotions hit her like a brick. She didn't understand how the young kid was alive, but she was glad nonetheless. In all honesty, there was a good chance he wouldn't survive much longer with the amount of blood he'd lost.

Satan City's heroine was baffled when Vegeta stopped applying pressure to Goten's wound.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, picking up the cloth and rushing to the boy's side.

"He'll be fine. He's recovering at a normal speed."

"Fine?" He wasn't fine! He had a bullet lodged in his chest! Vegeta apparently didn't care. He headed off into the house, leaving the crimefighter with no medical training whatsoever to treat Goten.

Moments later, the door banged open and Vegeta casually strolled out of the house, sipping a glass of water.

"Goten is dying out here! This is no time for a drink!" Videl screeched as he meandered her way.

"Calm down, girl," he groaned. "Look at him. He's fine!"

Goten chose that particular moment to vomit a fountain of blood. Videl looked at the father incredulously as she gently wiped the blood from the boy's face.

"Make yourself useful and find me something to use as a bandage," she ordered.

"I told you. He's fine."

Videl took a closer look at the injured child before her. The blood pouring from his wounds had nearly stopped. The edges had already begun to scab, and the injury had only occurred minutes ago. Vegeta was right... Goten was going to be fine.

How was that possible? He's freaking seven years old for crying out loud! How does a kid who has been shot recover so quickly?

While all of these questions swirled around inside the young crimefighter's mind, Vegeta walked back to the young fighter, kneeling down.

Videl noticed the battle-hardened warrior beckoning for the cloth, which was now in her possession. Lightly tossing it in Vegeta's direction, the teen watched with interest as the adoptive father cleaned up the last trickles of blood. It was amazing, almost as if the boy had never been injured.

Goten slowly sat up, coughing a few times. His breathing was more even and relaxed, which comforted Videl greatly.

Letting out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding, the World Champ's daughter scooted towards Goten before taking one of his small hands in hers. She knew Gohan would have gone on a rampage had he been permanently harmed. Knowing what she did now, the present alternative seemed more beneficial to the surrounding area's long-term well-being.

The warm breeze toyed with her darks locks. Plopping herself on her back, Videl gazed up into the beautiful aqua blue sky, reveling in the pure awesomeness of the mid-morning clouds. The soft grass caressed her back as she watched the puffy phenomenons float by.

Now that they were out of imminent danger, the raven-haired girl could just relax and await her protector's return. Maybe he would have discovered some new information about Coco, and this situation could soon be resolved.

Moments later, as if on cue, Videl noticed the wind pick up to her right. Craning her neck from her position, she noticed a golden glow rapidly approaching. She could practically feel the ever-increasing ki of her new "boyfriend" as he got closer.

After several seconds, the strong warrior landed with a soft thump on the grass, roughly twenty feet away. The dark-haired girl wanted to approach Gohan, but figured he was probably still pissed off at both her and Vegeta for putting Goten in danger. It didn't matter whether or not it was intentional. Thinking back, what was she thinking bringing the young Ox prince out here? It virtually reeked of bad news from the get-go.

Videl let out a sigh as she noticed Gohan glaring intensely at her. His eyes practically spelled out that he. Was. Pissed.

How the hell was she going to fix this?

* * *

><p>Gohan knew she felt badly about this entire predicament. He could feel it in her ki, in her emotions. The worry, the fear, the apprehension, it was all there. He supposed he probably could have been more lenient when they had talked earlier. But, honestly, why did she perceive it to be a brilliant idea to bring a seven-year-old to a dangerous area?<p>

Sighing for what seemed to be the umpteenth time, the Saiyan ran his hand through his hair, tousling his spiky hair as it faded from golden blond to darkened black. Why did this affect him so much? Why did he feel as if she let him down? What exactly did he expect from her, after all?

Bashfully averting his gaze to the ground below, Gohan stood still for a few seconds as he attempted to gather his thoughts. His rational mind had taken a vacation the moment he saw his younger brother take that bullet to the chest.

Abruptly realizing he still hadn't checked on his brother, the teenaged half-Saiyan phased out, reappearing in a kneeling position next to Goten. His right hand lightly disrupted the dirt as he wrapped his other arm around his sibling, relishing in the fact that he was safe and secure.

"Goten, are you alright?" It was such a simple question, yet expressed everything Gohan was feeling perfectly. His onyx orbs stared intently into the younger Son boy's innocent eyes, expectantly awaiting a reply. His voice came out emotionally drained, and he noticed his pseudo-girlfriend tense up at the question. Gohan tightened his grip on his brother, imagining it to be the last time he'd get to hold the brother he didn't even have a chance to know.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Goten's soft voice broke down all of Gohan's carefully crafted emotional barriers. The tears flowed freely as the strongest warrior in existence cried nonstop for the second time in a week. He intensified his grip on his sibling, hugging him with all his might.

The teenage demi-human shifted his body into a cross-legged position and moved Goten into his lap, cradling his small frame in his arms while they both cried. He took note that Videl watched the entire scene play out with a sympathetic expression etched onto her face.

About twenty minutes later, the two brothers had calmed down. Their sniffles still filled the silent mountain air, but it was a far cry from the bawling that had occurred in the last half hour.

"Hey Gohan?" the bright-eyed child asked. "You're my brother, right?" Gohan was slightly impressed he deduced that, and was extremely curious to know exactly how he figured it out. Before he could voice this question, his brother beat him to the punch. "I heard you and the pretty lady talking about it before. She said 'Can we please have this fight another time? Your brother is waiting for you.' Plus, I noticed we looked alike from the first time I saw you, big brother."

Gohan felt a few tears pricking at the corner of his eye once again, but he blinked them back. He wrapped his big arms around his sibling a little closer and buried his face in the boy's black locks.

"Yes Goten, you're absolutely right," Gohan whispered between sobs. "I'm your big brother."

The little boy turned in his big brother's lap and sought out eye contact with his newfound family member. When he noticed Gohan returning his stare, the kid cracked a sweet smile before wrapping his tiny arms around Gohan's neck. The teenaged demi-Saiyan felt his insides melt and his heart radiate with happiness.

"Big brother?" Goten asked, releasing Gohan from his embrace. "Do I get to see you you every day now? Just like with our other brother Trunks?"

Gohan chuckled. He had almost forgotten that Goten had another big brother besides him.

"I'm not sure, squirt," Gohan paused at the nickname for a second, loving the way it suited his sibling. "I have a lot of important stuff to do now, but I'll come over as much as I can."

Goten's eyes lit up bright. "Do you promise?'

Gohan returned a smile. "Yes Goten, I promise."

* * *

><p>Videl sat in the armchair and bit her nails nervously. She looked around the room, anxious to find something that could distract her thoughts.<p>

After the whole ordeal between Gohan and Goten, the four of them had gone back to Capsule Corps. Gohan, Vegeta and Videl had agreed to not tell Bulma what had happened, not wanting to invoke the blue-haired woman's wrath. After greeting the blue-haired genius, Vegeta had hurried off to the Gravity Room to blow off steam. Goten had gone to look for Trunks and Gohan had dragged Videl along to one of the building's many recreational rooms, this one specifically meant for lounging around, to go and talk in private.

And now Gohan was walking back and forth through the room, trying to find the right words to say. His anger at Videl had subsided. The girl just didn't know better. All she wanted to do was put a smile on his face and instead he had screamed at her and made her feel bad. Guilt was starting to gnaw at his conscience. He let out a deep sigh before turning his attention to Videl.

"I want to apologize for my rude behaviour," Gohan said, staring at his feet. "I know that you brought Goten with you to cheer me up and I'm thankful for it. I shouldn't have gotten mad with you."

Videl jumped up from her chair.

"Yes you should! I put your little brother in a life-threatening situation! He could've gotten killed! I'm surprised you haven't mauled me yet!" the raven-haired girl protested vehemently, frantically waving her arms around. "I feel so guilty! I never should've taken Goten along with me."

Gohan remained calm as he took hold of Videl's hands. He slowly lowered her back into her chair and looked into her cerulean eyes.

"Goten isn't the only reason I became so angry back there."

She looked up and raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

Gohan sank through his knees to meet Videl at eye level, caressing her soft, delicate hands between his, relishing in the feeling of her touch.

"I was mad at you for not being at your father's, like you promised me you would," Gohan explained. "When I found out that you were away with Goten, I was filled with concern. I was concerned that my little brother was in a hazardous area with a sniper lying around, but I was also concerned about you, Videl."

The girl was speechless as she listened to Gohan's words.

"I was worried about you because I wasn't around you to protect you. You can't heal yourself like my brother and I can. Bahia would have killed you, and I don't want to see you get hurt, Videl. At first I thought that you were only a tool to help me to find Coco, but now that I've gotten to know you better, I think I can trust you. I want to protect you and make sure that you're safe."

Videl noticed the guilt in the boy´s eyes and smiled softly.

"Thank you," she replied. "And I promise to stop acting so dangerously stupid all the time.'

The two chuckled faintly before locking each other in a tight embrace. Gohan gently rocked the raven-haired girl back and forth.

_I'm getting more attached to this girl then I thought. I have to be around her to protect her. Cause she's a good person and she needs to be protected... right?_


	14. Fear and Sleep

**Brought to you by Kanotari, DarkVoid116, RaiynetheHedgehog and Kalebxdd.**

**Disclaimer: TDS does not own DBZ.**

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Gohan gently released Videl from their embrace. He could sense his mentor's ki coming towards their location and figured he'd probably want to know how things went with Bahia.<p>

"Hey, Videl. Piccolo is on his way here. Why don't you wait here?" He spoke the words as softly as he could, trying to sugar-coat things. He really didn't want to have to explain more about his tumultuous relationship with his former mentor. Videl had already seen their rocky friendship first-hand at the Lookout.

"Do I have to, Gohan? Please, I don't want to be excluded. Whoever shot Goten is the same person that your friend directed you to, right? This involves me. I want to hear what happened, too." The tall, spiky-haired teenager knew she had a very valid point there. This did involve her, and she had a right to hear what he did to the sniper.

Sighing, Gohan reluctantly agreed. "Fine, you can come. I suppose that's a good reason. This does involve you." With the matter settled, the pair rose from the armchair they had been hugging in. Gohan grasped the vixen's left hand with his right, interlocking their fingers. When she glanced at him, questioning his actions with her eyes, he merely grinned.

As they trudged through the long hallways of the monstrous building, Gohan thought he heard his brother in a nearby room. As he and Videl got closer, the owner of the voice became clear. It was definitely Goten. He thought he recognized Trunks as the owner of the other voice.

Abruptly changing directions, the strong demi-Saiyan motioned with his head towards the door, letting Videl in on his intentions. In case she didn't understand, he vocalized his thoughts. "Hey Videl, I think I hear Goten and Trunks talking in one of these rooms. Let's check it out, okay?" Glancing down at her, he was thrilled to see a sly smirk adorn her pale features as she nodded in agreement.

The duo pressed their ears to the door and began listening to what the younger duo was discussing.

"Yes he is, Trunks!" That was Goten, and Gohan noted he seemed heated about something. One glance at Videl's slightly widened blue eyes told him he wasn't imagining things. Trunks responded to Goten, causing the eldest Son boy to redirect his attention to the door.

"No he's not dummy! If he were your brother we would have heard of him by now!" Gohan visibly flinched at this statement. He felt guilty enough as it was. He had completely ignored all his responsibilities for the better part of a decade, not even discovering the existence of his younger brother until recently. The lilac-haired Saiyan brought up some good points in that department.

"But he is! We look so much alike! You're so mean Trunks! I'm not a dummy." The little squirt's insistence made Gohan smile. With Vegeta as a fatherly influence, he was afraid both young half-Saiyans would have inherited the characteristics of the Saiyan prince, but it appeared that Son traits were genetic.

The half-Saiyan felt a tug on his shoulder. Looking down, he saw his "girlfriend" pulling on his sleeve. Confused, Gohan hastily whispered in her ear. "What are you doing, Videl?"

The girl in question responded back in an equally hushed voice. They didn't want to alert the dynamic duo to their presence, after all. "This feels wrong. I'm sure we'll see Trunks and Goten later on. You can introduce yourself to Trunks and everything then. Let's go meet up with Piccolo, okay?"

A few minutes later, the black-haired pair had finally reached the main room of the living compound. With the two kids still talking and Vegeta training rigorously, only Bulma was present. The blue-haired genius was twiddling her thumbs nervously, watching the TV. Gohan noted that the bluenette seemed very on edge. It was almost as if she was waiting for disaster to strike.

"Hey Bulma, what's up?" The Capsule Corp. heiress jumped sky high at Gohan's sudden greeting. The teen was certainly curious. What could have possibly happened in the last half an hour to make Bulma this freaked out? He noticed Videl looked equally puzzled by Bulma's odd behavior. It wasn't just him.

"H-hey Gohan, how are you?" Bulma stammered. Gohan then realized he and Videl disappeared immediately to the recreational room the moment they had arrived. The last time he'd seen Bulma was when he discovered he had a brother and subsequently blasted out of Capsule Corp.

"Er, I'm good Bulma. Sorry about leaving so quickly last time." He understood her reaction a bit better. The last time he had come to Capsule Corp., he was essentially a mentally unstable, brooding, angry teenager. He had flown the coop faster than Goten could call Bulma his real "Mommy." The teen took a seat on the sofa adjacent to where Bulma was, beckoning for Videl to plop down next to him.

"It's okay Gohan. I'm not upset about that. It was understandable. You had just found out you had a brother." This confused Gohan big time. If she wasn't upset about that, then what was she so distraught over?

Videl beat him to the punch, though, entering the conversation for the first time. "Uh, Mrs. Brief, why are you acting so upset then?"

"Please, dear. Call me Bulma. As for your question, something the boys were talking about upset me." Gohan nervously gulped at this. There were not too many possibilities as to what this could be. The daggers Bulma was suddenly shooting towards the Gravity Room didn't help to ease his conscience, either.

After swallowing the big lump stuck in his throat Gohan managed to speak.

"W-what were the boys talking about then?" the demi-Saiyan asked, fearing the answer to come.

Bulma uncomfortably shifted her weight from one leg to another. Both teenagers could see that it was difficult for her to speak.

Gohan noticed that as the Brief heiress swallowed a few times, the air became thicker. The tension was so thick, it could be cut with a knife. He stared intently at his surrogate aunt, awaiting a reply. He even played with the fabric of one of the cushions. The demi-Saiyan assumed he knew what Bulma had overheard; if his assumptions were correct, a tongue lashing was surely in order.

"I heard," Bulma began, causing Gohan to inhale sharply, "that Goten got shot. He seems fine, which I guess is expected with his Saiyan physiology and all. I just can't believe I let him out of my sight for one day, one day and he gets shot." Gohan let out the breath he'd been holding. Although it pained him to see the closest thing he had to a mother on the verge of tears, it was much better than the alternative of a screaming, angry mother any day of the week.

The other side of the coin was that Gohan was absolutely terrible when it came to dealing with crying women. He had never been able to comfort his late mother, and had barely been able to calm Videl down earlier.

Lady luck was smiling down on Gohan that day, because before Bulma could start wailing about how worried she was for her baby and how she couldn't leave his side for one minute, a gruff voice introduced himself, alerting all there to his presence.

"What the hell happened out there, Kid?"

Had Gohan been paying attention to his senses, the warning bells would have been there. After all, the whole entire reason he had broken his embrace with Videl was because he knew Piccolo was on his way. So why then was he completely shocked when Piccolo's voice interrupted his conversation?

Turning to face his former mentor, the strongest warrior in the universe addressed him. "Well, wouldn't you want to know?" he retorted with a slight sneer. Although Gohan had somewhat mended his tumultuous relationship with the Namekian fighter, he still didn't consider him a friend once again. Which is why he wasn't surprised when Piccolo kept up his usual facade of indifference in response to his snide remark.

"Cut the bullshit, Kid. Obviously something major happened. I felt your brother's ki dwindling for a while, and your energy signature exploded. You went level two, so don't give me any of this bullshit. What. The hell. Happened." Gohan realized it was more of a demand than an inquiry and they were going to get nowhere unless he humored Piccolo with some answers. He had been expecting it anyway, so it wasn't as if it was a big deal.

"Fine, Piccolo. You win. The sniper you and Dende led me to shot Goten when he was walking out of the house." After he spoke, Gohan suddenly spared a glance towards Bulma. A look of utter despair flashed across her face, her eyes widening and her hand going up to her heart, agony flashing across her features, the pain a mother feels when she realizes once more that her child might have died. He knew explaining everything would cause her pain, but Piccolo was forcing his hand at the moment.

"What else, Kid? It sure took you a long fucking time to return to your house. You interrogated Bahia, no? I highly doubt in your ascended form that you would release her without gaining any sort of information whatsoever. So spill."

Gohan smirked, knowing he had the upper hand here. Verbal confrontations were always amusing, and a battle of wits with the first man to train him was no different. He finally relented when Videl gave him an impatient look, annoyance in her blue gaze. Clearing his throat, Gohan addressed Piccolo without any detectable sarcasm in his voice.

"I learned a bit, Piccolo. It appears Coco wires all the money transfers to Bahia. When she finishes an assignment, she calls a number as verification. Sometimes Coco will answer, but other times it just goes to the answering machine. Luckily, the callous bitch traced Coco's IP address. She couldn't get an exact read on it, but it's somewhere in the vicinity of North City."

It was as if the onyx-eyed warrior could see a light bulb go off in Piccolo's mind at that last statement, watching as the Namekian's eyes widened slightly in realization. He quirked an eyebrow at the green warrior, wondering what kind of potential connection he made. "Hey Piccolo, what are you thinking?" The question was spoken with a simplicity that hadn't been seen from Gohan in a while. Anxiousness shone in his dark eyes as he watched Piccolo's expression suddenly snap from pensive to its normal mask of indifference once more.

"Just remembering something from several years ago. I don't want to rile you up, so I'll check it out on my own time. By the way, here's a Senzu Bean for your brother." With that, the experienced warrior tossed a single small, green bean at Gohan and turned around to take his leave, effectively ending the conversation.

Videl Satan had seen a lot of things in her young, short life. She had seen the deadliest, meanest criminals, feats deemed impossible by the masses accomplished with ease, and much more. One thing Videl Satan had never seen was a small, emerald green bean with magical healing powers. There was a first time for everything, though, she supposed.

When Piccolo had delivered the bean, calling it a "Senzu Bean," she had been skeptical of its so-called powers, but didn't say anything. Her black-haired companion hadn't objected, so she decided to sit back and watch the so-called "magic" unfold.

To say she was shell-shocked would be the understatement of the year. Gohan had fed the edible substance to his younger brother, lightly placing it on the young Ox Prince's tongue. She had apprehensively watched as the boy slowly chewed the supplement, eyes screwing up slightly in pain as he struggled to chew the vile bean, but at last he swallowed. It seemed to have no effect whatsoever. Perhaps it just needed some time, but Videl was not a patient soul. Each second that ticked by made the Satan girl want to rip her hair out of her skull.

All of a sudden, the young, spiky-haired kid's cuts and bruises quickly began to fade away. The blood splatters across his arms dried up and disappeared. The tension in his muscles vanished. The girl's eyes widened with shock as the gunshot wound closed before her very eyes.

Videl then decided she needed to get some damn answers from a certain black-haired teen superhero. The entire situation was getting absolutely ridiculous. She learned some stuff about this Bahia situation from listening in on Gohan's conversation with Piccolo, but she still had many questions that needed answering.

"Gohan, what the hell just happened?" Videl demanded. She hoped she came across as angry, hell, maybe even a bit intimidating. She was tired of being confused; she wanted answers, damn it, and she wanted them now.

"What do you mean?" Gohan asked. He quirked an eyebrow and tilted his head to the side slightly, almost like a puppy. Videl had to admit that she found it absolutely adorable.

"I'm talking about that Senzu Bean nonsense! What the hell is a Senzu Bean!" Her voice lowered in volume before she continued. "Gohan, I've put up with everything you asked me to. I didn't ask too many questions when you went after Coco's goons, nor when you asked me to follow you to Mount Paozu. I trusted you, so now it's your turn. Earlier, you told me that you were worried about my safety. If that's true, then I need to know."

Videl knew bringing up their conversation earlier was probably a low blow, but her curiosity about Goten's magical recovery had gotten the best of her. She knew Gohan somewhat trusted her and she was banking on the fact that this would work. When she saw Gohan's smile turn slightly apologetic and sheepish, she inwardly smirked. She had him right where she wanted him.

"I know, Videl. I'm sorry. I know I have a bunch of secrets, but hey, look at the bright side; you're finding out more about me every day." He sent her a slight grin. Videl couldn't help it; his smile was contagious.

"Fine, fine, Gohan. Can you just explain what that Senzu Bean was?" Videl said to her "boyfriend." She really hoped that he could do that. She had faith.

"Sure. Well, basically a Senzu Bean is a magical bean with healing properties. They require a specific amount of sunlight to grow and it's only available at the top of Korin Tower, where the martial arts master Korin resides. I don't know exactly how they grow; all I know is that they supposedly make people with even the largest appetites full for several days and that they take a really long time to grow. Due to this, supply is severely limited," Gohan explained to the raven-haired crimefighter as she intently listened, absorbing every detail.

"Let me get this straight. What you're saying, Gohan, is that this martial arts master living at the top of some tower grows batches of magical beans? Is this a fairy tale?" Videl asked. She raised her eyebrow as if to imply she didn't believe the dark-haired boy for a second.

"Yeah, pretty much. That sums it up." Gohan replied. He scratched the back of his neck in typical Son fashion, averting his gaze to the ground. She found it totally adorable and assumed that her "boyfriend" realized how insane it sounded, even if it was true.

A sudden crash redirected Gohan and Videl's attention towards a dark, almost gloomy-looking hallway. The girl quirked an eyebrow, wondering what in seven hells that could have been.

Before she could voice her question to the tall teen besides her, Vegeta stepped out of the shadows. From his appearance, which included a ripped, nearly shredded navy blue spandex shirt and gray spandex shorts, Videl assumed he had been training. The fact that his forehead was drenched in sweat did wonders to support this hypothesis. Did that crash come from something he did?

Turning towards Gohan, the Satan girl glared up at him. "Gohan, what was that noise?" she all but demanded. She had a feeling she knew what the source of it was, but even with all this craziness about black-haired kids turning blond and magical healing beans, it was tough to swallow that somebody could train under circumstances which could result in a crash like that.

"It was just Vegeta training in the Gravity Room. Bulma is pretty dang smart, as you might have noticed, so she probably made robots or something to create a challenge for him," Gohan replied. He then turned his attention to the man with the widow's peak, smirking at him. "What's up Vegeta, have a little bit of a rough playtime session?" he teased. The playful tone in his voice was unmistakable, causing Videl to snicker.

"At least I'm partaking in 'playtime', Brat. Where the hell is your Saiyan pride? When was the last time you seriously trained?" Vegeta spat in disgust. Even to Videl it was obvious that he was disappointed in Gohan's training, or lack thereof.

With that, the unruly haired warrior took his leave, heading off toward the kitchen to fetch a snack.

The girl turned to Gohan and voiced a question that popped into her mind when Vegeta spoke. "Hey Gohan, what's a Saiyan?" she asked her pretend boyfriend.

Said male hurriedly shifted his gaze from where Vegeta had disappeared to, meeting Videl's ocean-blue orbs. "Um, w-what did you say, Videl?" Gohan stammered. His voice was shaking a bit, the uneasiness obvious.

"What is a Saiyan?" she repeated, carefully articulating every syllable. She observed as Gohan twiddled his fingers, seemingly finding them quite interesting all of a sudden. She wondered if perhaps it was a mistake to pry into his business here. He had been increasingly accepting of her lately, and she really didn't want to ruin their budding friendship. It was so weird to think that just a short time ago she had been interrogating him, trying to find out why exactly he abandoned the debate club back at school.

Her train of thought was suddenly broken when Gohan began to speak hesitantly. "It's, er, it's kind of difficult to explain, Videl," he began, as if he were searching for the right words to explain himself. He finally settled on a way to phrase what he wanted to say. "Haven't you wondered how I'm able to change my hair from pitch black to golden at the flick of a switch? There is an actual reason for my ability to transform into Saiya. It's complicated, and I promise I'll explain it after this whole ordeal is over, okay? I just can't think of how to explain it in simple terms right now, and the stress of the last day or so is starting to catch up to me." As Gohan finished, he ran a hand through his jet black locks, sighing exasperatedly.

Videl, who listened intently to the entire explanation, began to feel pity. Lost in all of the madness of the past day was the fact that Gohan had barely slept since he had broken down in her arms. It had been an extremely tiresome day to say the least. Allowing a small, barely perceptible smile to crawl onto her face, she nodded before addressing her "boyfriend." "I understand Gohan; this entire day has dragged on endlessly. When you're ready, you can tell me. You had better tell me eventually, though. Got it?" she ordered. A sly, victorious smirk had found its way onto her features, radiantly lighting up her face.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it Videl. What are you going to do if I back out? Beat me up? We both know you can't touch me in a serious fight," Gohan taunted. It infuriated Videl to no end, but she knew he was right. She was nowhere near his league in both skill and strength, granted this was the same person who defeated Cell.

Glancing up at the clock, Videl noticed how late it actually was. 'No wonder we're both so tired' she thought wryly.

Turning back to her sort-of crime-fighting partner, the raven-haired vixen noticed the droopiness of his eyes, the bags under them, the way he seemed to be running on adrenaline alone. She figured she seemed as if she was about to crash too.

"Hey Gohan, maybe we should hit the hay. This day has been extremely long and draining. I think what we both desperately need is a good night's sleep. Do you agree?" she queried. Her tone was soft and sincere, causing Gohan to do a double take at the sudden change of attitude.

"Um, sure. But where are we going to sleep? I didn't think this would take so long, and now it's as dark as death out there. I wouldn't advise flying right now, especially since you're still a beginner," Gohan spoke, concern evident in his voice.

"Well, I think Bulma is still awake, I guess we could ask her. How about you do it since you've known her longer." Videl was feeling a bit uncomfortable about the entire situation given the fact that there was a strong possibility she would need to sleep near Gohan, an admittedly very cute, very available, very hot teenage male. Avoiding a confrontation with the heiress in a potentially embarrassing situation was ideal.

"Haha, that's fine with me, Videl," replied Gohan. As he said this, his hand subconsciously reached for the back of his neck.

With that, the pair began walking towards the kitchen where they assumed Bulma to be. As they walked through the entryway, Videl took a moment to admire the beauty of the room. All of the cabinets were crafted out of the finest mahogany wood, the countertop made of the best granite. The walls were painted a soft pink color, contrasting nicely with the the white tiled floor.

In the corner of the room sat Bulma, absorbed in a magazine. As the duo got closer, the Brief heiress noticed their presence. She glanced up from her science article, quirking an eyebrow at them. "What do you guys need?" she asked. Her expression changed into a friendly smile as she addressed the teenagers, clearly wanting to ease their all-too-obvious discomfort.

Gohan took charge, remembering his recent conversation with Videl. "Hey Bulma, we need a place to sleep. We originally intended to go back home, but it's been a very long day and we're exhausted. Do you have any available bedrooms?"

He spoke it without any hesitation, but Videl saw right through his confident facade. As he said the word bedrooms, she noticed his expression falter ever so slightly, betraying his underlying nervousness.

"Well, obviously," Bulma replied, looking at Gohan oddly. "I mean, I do live in one of the biggest houses in the world."

Gohan let out a relieved breath. "Thanks, Bulma," he said gratefully.

Just then, though, Vegeta decided to join the conversation. He'd been standing silently behind his wife, eating a sandwich of his own making before he let out a snort as he listened to their talking.

"Just make sure you don't give them a room near ours," he said to the blue-haired woman.

"Oh, don't worry, honey," she replied, her tone slightly sarcastic. "I was gonna make sure to give them their privacy."

When Gohan let out a long, drawn out groan, Videl wondered what he was thinking. "Bulma, please, I know what you're thinking. Can we not-"

"Oh, Gohan, there's nothing to be embarrassed about," Bulma interrupted him with a slight grin, giving him a coy wink. "Vegeta and I will be sure not to interrupt you two."

Videl knew what her thoughts had been before, but hearing Bulma say it out loud seemed to make everything a hundred times worse. "Gohan and I are definitely NOT going to do that, M...I mean, Bulma," Videl corrected herself, remembering that the heiress didn't like being addressed as "ma'am".

Vegeta snorted once again in disbelief. "Sure you won't," he responded with disgruntlement clear in his tone. "You're just a pair of teenagers who are obviously attracted to each other, going to be in close proximity during the night. There's nothing at ALL suspicious with that." The teens' cheeks had turns redder by the second as he spoke.

"Vegeta, seriously, we weren't-" Gohan tried again, but was cut off by the prince, who acted as if he hasn't spoken.

"Now, I don't give a shit where you two have sex in his compound," he told them. "Just don't have it anywhere CLOSE to my bedroom, or near the boys, where they can possibly walk in on you two."

"Oh, Vegeta, leave them alone. Don't act as if we haven't had sex in close proximity to our son many times," Bulma said offhandedly.

Gohan and Videl were now as red as tomatoes, and at Bulma's last statement, a dark blush began to form on Vegeta's tanned cheeks. "Damn, woman, that has absolutely nothing to do with my point," he grumbled out, obviously annoyed.

Bulma laughed at her husband, shaking her head. She then turned to the two teenagers with a grin on her face. "Oh, we're just teasing. Right, Vegeta?"

"Speak for yourself, female," the Saiyan muttered in reply, arms crossed against his chest. "I'm serious-I don't want them near us when they're having sex."

Gohan and Videl seemed to have both lost control of their vocal chords, unable to speak due to their pure embarrassment. Bulma, however, found the whole situation rather hilarious, and couldn't contain her laughter.

"Oh, I'll stop, I'll stop," she relented, seeing how red the two had become. "There's two bedrooms next to Goten and Trunks'. You can take those two, OK?"

Videl spared a glance at Gohan, and the half-Saiyan teenager nodded in relief at Bulma finally let up on them. "Thanks," he said.

"Yes, thank you, Bulma," Videl added, also relieved that the very awkward topic was being dropped.

"Hmph," Vegeta grunted. "I still think-"

"OK, you two, go on to your rooms," Bulma said quickly, ushering them away with a shooing motion, knowing that her lover was probably NOT going to drop the subject anytime soon and wanting to spare them from more humiliation.

Gohan and Videl didn't wait any longer in the room, and quickly fled from the kitchen, their cheeks still flaring as the couple behind them engaged in another legendary argument.

As Videl walked into her room, her racing heart slowed down and her nerves calmed. She was no longer nervous as all hell, which gave her a sense of peace and tranquility as she drifted off into sleep.

-

Krillin was nervous. Over the past seven years, he hadn't made drastic improvements in his strength or skill, but he at least kept a status quo. After that day at Kami's Lookout, the bald man had set out in search of Android 18. It took ages to pinpoint her location and, once he had, even longer to get the blonde bombshell to agree to a date.

Sure, he knew about most of the things that had happened in the last almost-decade. Living thousands of miles away from civilization did limit their capacity to socialize, but as long as multimedia existed, Krillin, Android 18, and Master Roshi wouldn't be entirely cut off from the main world.

He knew all about Chi Chi's death, Gohan's disappearance, the Ox King death, and even the recent reappearance of the apparent heir to the throne. He kept his ki senses finely tuned and was able to essentially follow the action.

Which brought his nervousness full circle. Earlier today, he had felt Gohan go Super Saiyan Two, a level he assumed the kid hadn't been forced to ascend to since the Cell Games. At first, he feared a new enemy, but those thoughts were quickly put to rest when he sensed the tranquility in Piccolo's ki. The Namekian warrior obviously didn't see the issue as being worth investigating, so he wouldn't dwell too much on it either.

Now though, the green battled-hardened fighter was approaching Kame House at mach speed. He hadn't seen hide nor hair of his fighting buddies since the Cell Games, with the exception of Yamcha who he occasionally met for a drink.

Out of the blue, Piccolo pays him a visit? This didn't look promising, that was for sure. Glancing up from the wall he had abruptly found entertaining, he trained his eyes on his beautiful wife and the mother of his child, three-year-old Marron. "Hey 18, Piccolo is on his way here," the now black-haired monk started, "and he is moving pretty fast. He should be here in ten minutes." He felt the need to inform his wife of this event before the spawn of the Demon King arrived, since she couldn't sense ki.

"Why do you think that green bean is coming here, Krillin?" the drop-dead gorgeous cyborg queried. Her face was stoic and emotionless, yet her features held a certain degree of curiosity and invested interest in the short warrior's answer.

"I honestly have no idea," Krillin replied. He would find out soon enough though; the Namekian warrior was a minute or two away. "Why don't I greet him outside? Marron has never met Piccolo before and he might frighten her a little bit. He is green, after all."

The android's features softened ever so slightly at the mention of her young daughter. To the untrained eye, this subtle difference would go unnoticed, but Krillin had years of practice recognizing the small differences in his passive spouse's expressions. She nodded in agreement with his assertion, and Krillin took that at his cue to venture outside Kame House.

Passing by the entertainment room, Krillin noticed his old Master's eyes focused solely on an aerobics video with girls in tight spandex pants. Shaking his head, he continued on past his perverted ex-teacher, exiting through the front door.

It only took a few minutes before the expected visitor unceremoniously landed in the sand, grains kicking up in every which direction. After the dust settled from his landing, the Namekian warrior addressed Krillin. "Hello Krillin. I'll cut right to the chase. Have you been following the news both lately and about seven years ago?"

Krillin supposed the question was the most logical starting point, considering the amount of information Piccolo would need to brief him on would decrease dramatically if he was up to date on certain world events. Knowing this, he answered his questions promptly. "I know Chi Chi is dead, and Goku's younger son died along with her. Also, Gohan recently reappeared as a crime fighting superhero and is calling himself "Saiya". Is there more?"

"Yes. Gohan is attending school in Satan City. He's managed to get some important leads as to who murdered his mother. I'm needed at the Lookout, but I was wondering if I could tell you exactly what I know and if you could follow up one one of the Kid's leads?" Krillin asked his comrade.

Looking right into his friend's eyes, Krillin noted the seriousness in them. He knew that for Piccolo to seek him out after all this time, this information must be both troubling and vital. The Namekian was one of the more trustworthy members of their little group and had fought alongside them countless times. With a sigh, the ex-Turtle student nodded. "Sure, I guess. Anything to help find Chi Chi's murderer. 18 might not like it, but I'll follow up whatever lead you have." Krillin was terrified, not of his dangerous new mission, but of his wife's wrath.

"Good. Gohan reluctantly informed me that the people who murdered Chi Chi take orders from this top boss named Coco. An assassin attempted to kill someone close to Gohan twice recently; he was able to stop the bullet in one case and got lucky in the other. In both cases, however, he tracked down the assassin and was fortunate enough to retrieve some intel. The most promising lead is that this Coco character works from somewhere in the vicinity of North City. I have a hypothesis as to where we should start looking, but it's not set in stone and I don't want anyone else to hear."

With that, the spawn of the Demon King lowered his lips to Krillin's ear before whispering a few sentences. The monk's eyes widened in fear. He gulped in an attempt to calm his racing nerves. "Are you sure Piccolo?" he asked. The demon nodded solemnly. Krillin let out a long, heavy sigh. "Oh man, this is going to get worse before it gets better."

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed it.<strong>


	15. Moments

**This Chapter is brought to you by Kalebxdd, Kanotari, DarkVoid116, and RaiynetheHedgehog**

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><p>Krillin was many things. His closest friends would probably label him courageous, daring, strong, kind, and an all around wonderful person. He was not an idiot though. Because of that, one had to wonder what possessed a married father to depart his loving, caring family in order to chase a lead on a murder case that, in all likelihood, would not pan out.<p>

The reason behind this is his undying loyalty to all things 'Son.' The black-haired man had first befriended Son Goku when he was a pre-teen attempting to study martial arts under the legendary Turtle Hermit. Over the past few decades, he had fought tooth and nail right besides Goku and had met and ultimately befriended Gohan, Bulma, Piccolo, Dende, and everyone else... even Vegeta. When he first arrived at Kame House as a sinister preteen, he never would have envisioned the twists and turns his life would quickly take.

He also felt he owed his life to his wild-haired best friend, ten times over. All of these factors culminated in the current situation. Goku's wife had been ruthlessly murdered seven years ago, and he was presented with the opportunity to help track down her killer. It had taken a few hours to convince his abrasive wife that this needed to be done, but here he was, flying towards North City.

As he soared over the country, he took his time to bask in the wonderful elements of nature - the beautiful trees, the green, lush woods, the sparkling rivers, the rugged mountains. Ever since the Cell Games had ended, the formerly bald monk had rarely, if ever, ventured outside the cozy confines of his own home. He met Eighteen, sure, but after that he had spent the better part of an entire decade cooped up at Kame House. It was only now that Krillin realized how much he dearly missed the wonderful scents and aromas that only the great outdoors could provide.

Krillin realized that he was nearing the city when the density of the buildings increased. Off to his right, he could see that fateful island, the one where Yajirobe was nearly blown sky high and Yamcha had his chest punctured. He intensified the speed of his trip, desperately trying to rid his mind of the unwelcome memories.

A few minutes later, Krillin was hovering above the city limits, scoping out the surrounding area. He made sure to keep himself high enough that the residents of the city would not be able to spot him. Trying to spark his memory, he observed the outdoor area encompassing North City. As his eyes swept over one particular mountainside, they spotted something which triggered an extraordinarily unpleasant memory. Assuming he had found his desired location, Krillin shot off at breakneck speeds towards it.

It was time to test out Piccolo's hypothesis.

* * *

><p>Bulma had been silent all evening, and Vegeta took that as a bad sign. His wife was a chatty person; her sharp tongue was one of the things he found so appealing about her. She looked so focused as she read an article about diamagnetism; a topic which would bore and confuse most people. Her act might have fooled him if she hadn't been staring at the same page for what was now nearing a full hour. The heiress wasn't reading, she was brooding.<p>

Any normal husband might have asked his wife what she was thinking. Vegeta, however, just sat down next to her. 'Feelings' weren't exactly his area of expertise. Perhaps remembering that, Bulma abandoned her act, laying her soft head on his muscled shoulder. There they stayed in silence, wrapped in their own thoughts.

At last, Bulma spoke. "It's Goten," she explained in a soft voice. "I'm worried."

Vegeta already knew. He was worried too. Comforting words eluded him, so he settled for a reassuring gesture, raising a calloused hand to her sky-blue locks. Bulma sniffed softly, and Vegeta became conscious of a wet patch growing on his shoulder. The woman was crying.

"I was careless," he confessed, powerless before those tearful cerulean eyes.

"That's not why I'm worried, you idiot." The Briefs heiress hiccuped a little as her sniffles became sobs. Vegeta raised an eyebrow. What was she upset about, then?

"The brat is sound asleep," he offered. His wife rolled her eyes.

"I'm worried that there is an assassin after our son..." she clarified.

"The brat will be fine. I'll see to it," Vegeta stated, more venom in his voice than he had intended. He was still kicking himself for being so irresponsible earlier. If he had been paying attention like the battle-seasoned warrior he was, Vegeta might have noticed that the insignificant ki he sensed did not belong to an animal. He also might have noticed its proximity to his dead rival's house. Kami, he really had gone soft.

Bulma swatted the surly man's hand. He realized then that it had balled into a fist. Realising that he had probably been pulling her hair, the Saiyan muttered an apology and let go.

"It wasn't your fault," she soothed, throwing her arms around his neck. Wait a minute... the tables had turned. Bulma was comforting him! Although, her tears had stopped. He had a plan.

"Yes it was," the warrior insisted.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Bulma protested. "Gohan was there too, and so was Videl. Goten couldn't have had better protection."

"Did I miss something? He was shot," Vegeta said, self-loathingly.

"By a very talented sniper," she fired back once again.

"A human sniper," Vegeta growled.

"We may not be able to... oh I dunno... destroy my poor gravity room on a daily basis, but we find other ways to be strong."

Vegeta struggled not to smirk. The woman's snark was an excellent sign; she was feeling better. "Like what?"

Bulma planted a kiss on his cheek. "Why don't I show you?" She grabbed his hand, leading him toward their bedroom. He followed, smirking wildly the whole time.

Vegeta paused at the bedroom door. His expression must have changed, because Bulma soon questioned it.

"What's wrong, Vegeta?" Her voice was husky and absolutely seductive. The warrior shook his head, clearing it, as he sighed softly.

"Nothing," he said simply, dropping the subject. His smirk resumed its rightful place, and pounced on her, eyes flashing. And that effectively ended their conversation.

* * *

><p>The light from rising sun woke a certain demi-Saiyan. As his eyes opened, the intensity of the heat nearly blinded him. He blinked a few times, willing away his tiredness. With that taken care of, the teenage superhero stretched his arms out, inadvertently unwinding all of the tension in his muscles. As he glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand next to his bed, he slowly registered what the numbers meant... The nine, five, and four meant that he had likely missed breakfast.<p>

That wasn't what bothered him, though. As he further distanced himself from the previous night's peaceful slumber, the events that preceded it became clear as day. Bulma and Vegeta had mercilessly teased him about the so-called budding romance between he and the raven-haired girl sleeping in the room next door.

It was amazing to think that when he had first met the determined crime fighter that he had actually questioned whether or not she was a good person. Sure, his thoughts as a whole were far less stable back then, but he was beginning to see the truth; Videl was one of the best people to come into his life in a long, long time.

He'd also be lying if he said that he thought that she was unattractive, having long-since admitted that she was exactly opposite.

More than likely because of that, the Saiyan Prince and his wife had joined forces to tease him relentlessly, and he now found himself questioning whether or not he held true feelings for his newest friend.

Gohan threw on a plain white checkered shirt, buttoning it as he stood. He tousled a few locks of his ebony hair while he decided what else to wear. After a couple of moments, he slipped on a pair of navy blue jeans, brushed his teeth, and left his room intent on gathering up some food.

The moment he stepped through his bedroom door however, he bowled right into a tangled mess of raven hair. Immediately realizing he had knocked into Videl, he reached out a hand, offering his assistance.

Mr. Satan's daughter accepted the help, and blushed a bit as she brushed herself off. Trying not to stare at her as she did so, Gohan quickly looked towards the side.

After about five seconds of an incredibly awkward silence where their hands remained interlocked, Gohan decided to be a man and break the tension.

"So, Videl, how did you sleep?" Even he knew that was a lame attempt at diverting the conversation away from the dangerous waters of Bulma and Vegeta's incessant teasing.

"Er, I slept pretty well Gohan, thanks for asking," Videl replied. He could tell she felt uneasy, it was clear as day.

Gohan glanced down at their fingers, giving her a reassuring squeeze before letting go. "Let's go get some food, Videl. I'm starving!" he exclaimed. A joyous expression lit up his face, effectively highlighting exactly how excited he was to put something tangible in his stomach.

The duo strolled casually towards the kitchen, the tension easing due to Gohan's easy-going attitude. As they entered the room, they noticed nobody else around.

Gohan walked over to the stove and flicked the switch, instantly turning it to the 'on' position. "Hey Videl, do you want pancakes? I probably haven't eaten pancakes in a decade," Gohan asked the Champ's daughter. He realized his potential slip a bit too late and turned around just in time to see Videl's expression morph into one of total horror.

"You haven't eaten pancakes in nearly a decade!" she screeched. Her voice was fast approaching the maximum acceptable volume for early morning, indoor situations. If priceless faces were worth a million dollars, Gohan would be one very rich man right about now. He figured the likelihood of a teenager going ten years without the delicacies of a pancake were unimaginable to the innocent mind.

Suddenly, Videl's expression abruptly became somber. Gohan silently wondered what exactly had caused this mood change.

He didn't have to wonder long, though, as Videl spoke up. "I'm sorry Gohan," she offered. Her eyes were cast towards the ground, her hands clasped together behind her back. Gohan blinked once, then twice, wondering what exactly she had to apologize for. Before he could ask, she continued, "I must be bringing up bad memories. I'm sorry for reminding you of the past decade. With Cell, and then your mom, everything must have been a whirlwind of sadness. I'm really sorry for bringing bad memories to the surface."

Gohan hadn't even thought of his mother in this situation. Did that make him a bad person? Most kids who lose their mother would never, ever forget about them. Was he worse than they were?

"It's okay Videl, you don't need to be sorry for anything," Gohan comforted the petite girl. Small waves of guilt washed over him; he had made Videl upset. He didn't know why that made him feel like the bottom of a garbage can, filthier than the grungiest dirt, but it did. His heart constricted as he saw a single tear streak down the girl's cheek, plopping with a small splat on the kitchen tiles.

"Gohan, could you tell me some more about what you did for the past seven years after, you know, your mom died?" Videl pondered. Her voice shrunk to a whisper as she finished her question, almost as if the small girl didn't even want to ask it.

Seeing no harm in responding, Gohan checked the timer on his pancake batter. He still had some time before it would be ready. Gesturing for her to follow, he walked into the next room over before taking a seat on the sofa.

Waiting for Videl to sit next to him, he began speaking. "You know basically what happened up until my mom was shot, right?" he began. When he received a bashful nod in response, he continued, "Well, after I saw the blood sputtering everywhere, I lost it. I couldn't deal with my second parent - and by extension, my baby brother - dying in the span of a few months. I took off flying, not even caring where I went. It was probably extremely selfish to abandon the rest of my family and friends to handle the grief of the times. My grandfather especially had a tough time dealing with everything." Gohan began choking up at the reminder of his recently deceased grandfather; he had failed as a grandson.

"It's okay Gohan, it was an extremely difficult time for you I'm sure," Videl reassured him, placing a soft hand on his right shoulder, rubbing circles as she did. "Why don't you tell me about some of the adventures you went through during your seven years of obscurity," Videl offered.

"Well there's not much to really say," Gohan began, "except that I hid my ki effectively for the entire time I went off the radar. Nobody could find me. I hunted, killed animals, scavenged for food, and just became a nomad, venturing from locale to locale in search of temporary residences."

"Why don't you tell me more about your life before the assassination?" the raven-haired girl inquired. Gohan figured she was just trying to steer the conversation away from the sadder points of his life, but he didn't mind. The reminder of his late grandfather stirred emotions in the pit of his stomach that he had previously imagined were long gone.

"It was never really an easy life. My dad was a warrior through and through. He was essentially born and bred to fight. He took down the Red Ribbon Army as a kid, defeated King Piccolo as an adolescent, conquered the son of the Demon King as a young adult, and then took part in the triumphant battle over the alien invaders thirteen years ago. I never liked to fight as a kid; I was always the shy, weak kid who couldn't touch the evil villains who wanted to hurt my friends. The only good thing was that whenever I became truly angry, my power ballooned and I became a force to be reckoned with. My dad realized this just before the Cell Games and helped me unlock my full potential, which ultimately led to Cell's demise at the cost of my father's life." Gohan said, blankly.

As the teenage superhero finished his monologue, Videl gasped when a realization hit her. "Gohan, you feel responsible for both of your parents deaths, don't you?" she asked. It was more of a statement than a question, and the inflection in her tone supported that.

Gohan cast his gaze downward, contemplating exactly how much he missed his mother and father. He glanced at the young girl in front of him, then towards where his younger brother's ki resided, and realized once again just how much these two people had saved him from his own self-loathing. The discovery of his brother's existence gave him a purpose in life, a reason to avenge his mother.

"Hey Videl, I'm reaaaaaaaally hungry," Gohan whined, "Can we go finish those pancakes? I promise to explain more of my past to you in a bit. Can you tell me about your dad, though? Was he always the way he was when the Cell Games happened?"

Videl left the question unanswered, so the pair mosied their way into the kitchen intent on finally whipping up some breakfast. At least the drama had mellowed out.

* * *

><p>It was in ruins. It was sort of as if somebody just took the peace and tranquility of the mountainside and bowled it over with a bulldozer.<p>

A heavy dosage of guilt began to rise in the pit of Krillin's stomach as he observed the obliterated rubble. As he examined every single minute detail of the surrounding area, the formerly-bald monk had truly seen the lasting repercussions of his decision. When he and his future companion had made the decision to blast the debris and remains of the old fort to kingdom come, they hadn't accounted for potential long-term effects.

Just sensing the total and complete lack of life in the surrounding mile radius made his heart lurch. He'd been given a specific order - make sure the entire laboratory was completely, utterly destroyed.

Shaking his head of those less-than-pleasant memories, the short warrior descended to the rough terrain below, intent on tearing the entire laboratory apart for clues. As his feet touched the ground, his eyes scanned the cavelike entrance, searching for anything that seemed out of place, anything which might hint at a recent resident of the cave.

As he crossed into the cave, he subtly looked left and right, remembering his fear as the supposedly monstrous destroying machines beheaded and gruesomely murdered their master. His trip down memory lane culminated in a shudder as he laid eyes on the shattered remains of the cage which once housed the insectoid grasshopper who still haunted his nightmares.

Krillin spotted a hatch in the floor that he didn't remember from his last visit. Curious, he tugged on the handle. Time had been kind to the hinges; the hatch slid away with ease, revealing a deep, dark pit and a rickety ladder. The monk opted for the safer route, using his ki to descend. The pit went far deeper than he expected, and for each foot he sank, he grew progressively more nervous. He knew exactly what kind of madman he was dealing with in this situation, and every single possible outcome scared him... deeply.

At last his feet touched the floor with a dull thud. Dust billowed about his ankles; this place had clearly lain undisturbed for ages. Krillin decided he stumbled upon yet another laboratory, judging from the discarded circuit boards and broken stasis pods lying about. He didn't want to even imagine what monstrosities might have been created there.

As he prepared to return to the upper levels, something caught his eye, something leathery. It laid at the foot of the ladder as if someone had dropped it. The monk picked it up for closer examination.

The brown, leather object proved to be a book, or more specifically an address book. Thumbing through the cracking yellowed pages, Krillin saw that the text was handwritten in a spidery script, and though the words had faded, it was still legible. When he saw her name, he almost dropped the book in surprise... Piccolo had mentioned her, the sniper that shot Goten, the woman who wanted Videl dead: Bahia Rhizoma.

* * *

><p>As Gohan approached Trunks' bedroom he could hear the small, tiny voices of his brother and his brother's best friend. They seemed to be talking animatedly about something, so the dark-haired boy lightly rapped at the frame of the door, attempting to not disturb their peace and quiet too much.<p>

Following a few tense moments, he could hear the soft click of the door knob being turned before the thing separating him from his brother slowly opened a crack.

Small, wide, innocent onyx orbs stared up at him, and the teenage superhuman nearly melted.

"Hi big brother!" the energetic seven-year-old chirped, excitement hitting him in throes.

Gohan smiled at the way his little brother's face lit up when he recognized who knocked. He felt really guilty that Goten didn't know that he was his older brother until recently and that his own negligence and ignorance had prompted his brother's adoptive parents to hide his own existence. Had he just stopped and thought things through rationally all those years ago, who knows what might have been different. Perhaps he would have tracked down Coco years ago; but then again, he might not have met Videl.

Deciding his train of thought was straying into dangerously sad territory, he forced his mind onto the two young children in front of him. The strong warrior descended to his knees in front of the spiky haired child before he moved a stray lock out of Goten's face and smiled at his sibling.

"Hey squirt, how has your day been?" He inquired. It was amazing that no matter how angry Gohan felt, Goten improved his mood tenfold at the drop of a hat. The fact that one person held this much power over him should have frightened him, but he welcomed it with open arms.

"My day was just awesome!" the child cheered in excitement. "Me and Trunks spent the whole day playing video games! And I made something for you too!"  
>Gohan arched a brow in curiosity. "Oh really?"<p>

"Yeah!" Goten was obviously proud of his achievements. "I worked real hard on it too!"

A smile curled around Gohan's lips as he observed Goten bouncing up and down. The kid was just too adorable. The way his eyes sparkled with pure joy and innocence gave Gohan a warm, fuzzy feeling deep inside his stomach.

"Now why don't you go and show me what you made for me?" Gohan asked his little brother, softly.

Goten's joy nearly quadrupled as the child went out to search for his latest piece of craftsmanship. The oldest brother watched the child rummage through a giant pile of various items until he eventually gave an enthusiastic smile. After running over to his newest family member as quick as his little legs were able to carry him, Goten came to a halt before Gohan.

"I made this for you, big brother!" Goten smiled from ear to ear as he spoke. A tiny hand was stuck out and Gohan took a hold of the piece of paper that Goten handed to him.

Goten had drawn a simple picture of two stick figures. He had drawn the hair black and one of the stickmen was about twice the size of the other. Both characters had happy smiles on their faces and were doing something that Gohan assumed was akin to tossing a ball back and forth. The grass they stood on was drawn on several different tints of green and a smiley-faced sun illuminated the scene. The entire picture had been framed with uncooked macaroni. The seven year old had scribbled something down under the drawing: "Me and my big brother playing catch."

Gohan felt his heart rise as he read the scribbly and amateuristic handwriting of his sibling. It was hard for him to believe that the kid had gone and made something for him, someone he barely even knew. Though it was no real piece of art, it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen on a piece of paper.

"It's amazing," Gohan spoke, his voice almost a faint whisper. "Very good job Goten, I'll make sure to never lose it."

That small pat on the back made Goten smile so wide that Gohan thought the kid's jaw could rip any moment. Still new to the role of big brother Gohan leaned over and locked the small Saiyan in a tight embrace. After a few seconds he released the child, still savoring the happiness Goten made him feel.

A moment of silence followed, only to soon be broken by the sound of a faint scream from somewhere inside the Capsule Corps premises. Gohan shot up immediately and noticed Trunks and Goten doing the same. Vegeta had surely trained the children well; they were probably scanning the building for any unfamiliar Ki-sources. He was as well.

"There are several enemies in the house," Gohan spoke up, garnering the attention of the two other demi-Saiyans. "They are running around the building and are most likely armed. I know that that shouldn't be too big of a problem, but you saw what happened yesterday. We should be as careful as we possibly can, understood?"

The two children nodded and followed the teenager out to the hallway. The three took a right and an immediate left. All the while Gohan's eyes scanned every inch of the hallways for any sign of an unwanted presence.

Gohan noticed the door to the kitchen to his right. He kicked the door open, nearly slamming the piece of wood from its hinges. A small cry could be heard and Gohan saw Videl jump up. For a second he felt relieved that she was alright, but he felt his stomach drop like a brick when he noticed the form standing behind the raven-haired girl.

The woman had a deadly look engraved on her face, pure anger nearly flaring from her eyes. Her brown hair had been tied back into a long braid which fell down halfway to her back. The shorts and top she wore revealed a lot of her exotic skin complexion, just like the spider tattoo just above her left breast. Bahia Rhizoma gave a chuckle as she tightened her hold on Videl's arms, which she had forced behind the girl's back. A razor sharp knife was forced against Videl's throat, the blade slightly puncturing her skin.

"One more move pretty boy," Bahia giggled as she looked at Gohan's widened onyx orbs, "and your little girlfriend here gets it."


	16. Deep End

Chapter 16: Deep End

Gohan stood there stunned. Why had his life become so damn complicated? He couldn't get more than one lousy day of peace and quiet without shit hitting the fan. Leave Goten's side to spend time with Videl? The little tyke takes a bullet squarely to the chest. Leave Videl's side to create some tender brotherly moments with Goten? A crazy, maniacal woman holds the girl at knifepoint. Fan-fucking-tastic.

As Gohan stared down the insane woman, his gaze hardened and his eyes narrowed into soul-piercing slits. He gave her a second chance! She shot his brother and he allowed her to escape. He had been such a fool to hope that Bahia had learned her lesson. This was the perfect example of exactly why Gohan had no sympathy for crooks. Every time he gave them a second chance... they just threw it away.

The dark-haired Saiyan caught his newfound friend's eye, discerning a mischievous gleam in them. Realizing she was probably itching for an opportunity to break free of her captor, Gohan took it upon himself to act as the distraction she would need to execute her plan.

"Hey Bahia," he taunted. "I didn't think you missed me enough to pay me a visit so soon." Gohan's choice of words got the desired effect as the crazed knife-wielder took her attention off of Videl. No sooner had Bahia's eyes focused on Gohan than Videl had struck her in the chin. Taking the opportunity to deliver another blow, the raven-haired girl swatted at the hand with the knife in it, knocking the weapon harmlessly a few feet away. Gohan raced to the crimefighter's side, placing a foot on the sniper's chest.

"Sorry, Bahia, but I'd like to just be friends," the teenaged boy taunted.

"Guys have been telling her that for years," a new voice laughed. "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to get off of her."

Gohan tilted his head towards the entryway, just now noticing the figure standing there, leaning against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest. The man's jaw was chiseled, though his brown eyes had a sinister tint to them. He wore a well-fitted vest under a jet black jacket and silver chains hung from the pocket of his immaculate navy blue jeans. In short, he looked like a genuine badass. Gohan had a very bad feeling that this newcomer was more than likely another RabitGrass elite.

"Who the hell are you?" Gohan demanded, his curiosity piqued. He assumed that the new arrival outranked Bahia, since he seemed to hold no respect for the treacherous bitch. Additionally, this meant he was one step closer to finding out who murdered his mother.

"Ah, I am very glad you asked me that, brat. My name is Carth. Carth Ehrhardt, to be exact. As you probably guessed, I am a bit more important to our organization than that halfwit, Bahia. She's fairly useless in the grand scheme of things, a pawn used for the greater good. But I digress. Nice to meet you, twerp... now see you later."

Carth tossed a capsule on the ground from which a thick screen of smoke appeared, and with that he beat a hasty retreat.

Gohan attempted to stretch out his ki senses but was troubled to realize he couldn't find hide nor hair of Carth anywhere in the vicinity. Realizing there were more pressing matters, the black-haired superhero turned to his companions, nodded towards where Carth disappeared to, and began walking towards the kitchen entrance with Goten, Trunks, and Videl in tow.

Bulma chewed the end of her pencil, a habit she had formed long ago. Every time she ran into a problem in the lab, she added a new set of bite marks to her pencils. Today, she was trying to figure out a new gravity generation system for Vegeta's gravity room. The current one was too... breakable.

Knock... knock... knock...

The metallic sound resonated throughout her lab, snatching Bulma's attention away from her blueprints. That was odd; Vegeta never knocked, and the kids steered clear of her lab, Bulma hopped off her stool and walked cautiously over to the reinforced steel door, grabbing an empty beaker on a whim. Exactly who was on the other side?

She never made it to the door. Instead she noticed a glowing line and watched as it slowly traced a small box near the handle. A thick slab of steel fell to the floor, clattering on the tile as a hand reached inside, groping around for the doorknob. Bulma smiled to herself; it looked like this little beaker was going to get some use.

Bulma shattered the beaker against the doorknob, and after choosing a particularly large and sharp piece of glass, stabbed the greedy hand. An ear-piercing scream came from the far side of the door as the scientist ran, heels clicking on the tile floor.

The blue-haired woman ducked behind a lab counter where she rummaged about for makeshift weapons. A soldering gun was plugged into an outlet on the wall, which she knew would be useless at range. But if the people on the other side made it through the door, which was looking to be increasingly likely, then it would be an invaluable melee weapon.

The bottom drawer contained several bottles of rubbing alcohol for cleaning up after experiments and a striker, a flint-based device for lighting bunsen burners. That gave the genius a brilliant idea.

Pulling the bottom drawer open with an almighty yank, Bulma removed the caps of the alcohol bottles and tossed them toward the door on the far side of the lab counter.

The less-than-friendly visitor at last grasped the doorknob, and the heavy door slid open to reveal a half-dozen soldiers clad in all-black riot gear. The blue-haired scientist wore an intimidating smirk, an unusual reaction to a band of mercenaries. She held the striker over the last bottle of rubbing alcohol.

"Gentleman, you have to the count of three to get out of my house," she seethed.

Her only response was six guns pointed at her stomach. She, in turn, clicked the striker over the neck of the bottle.

"One..."

The mercenaries cocked their guns.

"Two..."

They took aim.

"Three!"

The bottle lit on fire, a makeshift molotov cocktail. Bulma smiled as the looks of comprehension washed over the soldiers' faces. They sprinted to the door, but not before the scientist flung the bottle with all of her might. It landed on the floor where she had spilled the rest of the rubbing alcohol, flames spreading in the blink of an eye. The heiress struggled to keep the contents of her stomach where it belonged as the wall of fire engulfed five of the soldiers. The last was stranded between a rock and a hard place: a furious genius and a blazing inferno.

Despite his predicament, he wasn't helpless; he had a semi-automatic rifle and she had a smoking piece of metal. The grunt took cover behind a tarp-covered invention and used his superior weapon to his advantage. Bulma was unable to move from her refuge behind the lab counter, effectively trapped unless she wanted to end up with several bullets embedded in her body.

Continuing to rifle through drawers, she looked for something... anything... to throw at her assailant. Her slender fingers wrapped around a rack of test tubes. Perfect!

With the strength and aim of a lab-bound scientist, she flung a tube at the underling. Predictably, it fell short. After a few retaliatory shots, all misses, she shifted over a few paces and tried again, this time overshooting and hitting the wall behind him. She swore bitterly, glancing down at the six remaining glass vials in the rack.

This time, the gunman's shots winged past her head, narrowly missing. The bastard was perverting physics; using her precious science against her. The clever mercenary was deflecting bullets off the wall and sending them careening right into her hiding place... her current location wouldn't protect her for long.

Apparently the soldier agreed, for Bulma heard the shuffling of boots coming in her direction. The next time Bulma poked her head out of cover to fire another test tube, she found that he was also using her lab counter for cover; he was crouched on the far side. Maybe she would get a chance to use that solder gun after all...

A black lacquered gun barrel slid around the corner and the scientist began flinging open drawers. Any cover would help prolong her life at this point. Sure enough, the gunner blindly fired, hoping to injure or kill her without risking another test tube being thrown at him.

A black ski mask and turtleneck followed the gun, peering around the corner as Bulma remained deathly silent. The gunner found himself face to face with the blue-haired beauty, smirking proudly at her own cleverness. She shoved the hot solder gun in his eye. Blinded and writhing in pain, he tightened his finger on the trigger and aimed in Bulma's general direction.

This was it; she had no protection, nothing to stop the bullets. She forced her eyes closed and waited for the pain, but it never came. The clatter of shells against the tile floor made her peek between her eyelids.

"Vegeta!" she gasped with relief. Her husband was standing between her and the enemy, as he always did. "You're late!"

He glared at his wife, but turned his attention to the gunman. "Get off the floor, you snivelling coward, and face me like a warrior."

The mercenary edged backwards toward the flames which held him captive, leaving him at the mercy of a short, yet intimidating, figure who glared at him disdainfully. Vegeta cracked his knuckles as he walked slowly, menacingly, toward the terrified gunman who was hastily reloading his weapon. A burst of shots rang out in the lab, but the Saiyan swatted them away like flies. Reaching down, he grabbed the mercenary by the collar and hoisted him up into the air.

"First, you attempt to kill my wife and now, you refuse to face me. You disgust me."

Those were the last words that the unfortunate soul would hear in his entire life.

* * *

><p>Navigating the large hallways of Capsule Corporation was a tall order for the young foursome. Gohan was in the lead with his three companions following closely behind. It still bothered the spiky-haired teen tremendously that he had been stupid enough to let Carth get the slip on them, and worse, that he couldn't detect any sort of ki signature originating from that new RabitGrass goon.<p>

Rounding a corner, Gohan spied a tiny bit of movement at the end of the dark corridor; he motioned with his hands for his brother, the young Briefs' heir, and Mr. Satan's daughter to tread carefully behind him as he quietly tiptoed towards where the movement originated. As the group walked into the room where a few small, agitated ki signatures were residing, Goten flicked the light switch on, ruining their attempt at discretion before Gohan could get out a word.

The moment the light switched on, a handful of short, bald mercenaries rose from their positions on the floor, focusing their attention on the four new members of the room.

The first, seemingly the leader, addressed the foursome before the other three grunts. "What the hell are you kids doing here?" he queried. His expression consisted of a mixture of interest and annoyance; he quickly decided to abandon their previous objective and charged the four.

Gohan stepped aside and motioned for the two younger half-Saiyans to do the same, leaving the sole human fighter to fend for herself. Videl ducked under the first errant fist, simultaneously driving her first into the criminal's gut. As he doubled over in pain, Videl swung her left leg in a roundabout motion, slamming it into his side. She finally finished with an elbow to the back of the grunt's head. He slumped to the floor unconscious, unceremoniously hitting the ground with a thump.

The other lower level RabitGrass goons immediately recognized they were outclassed, as evidenced by the apparent fear in their eyes. Gohan would never know if the grunts ever realized that they were severely outclassed by the demi-Saiyans or if they were truly just that afraid of Videl herself. It was all the same as far as he was concerned; both resulted in the underlings backing up against the far wall with their hands held in a defensive posture.

Gohan decided to use the fear they had established to his advantage and milk as much information out of these cronies as he could.

"Hey you! In the green," he said, motioning towards one of the cronies that hadn't Videl levelled, "What's the meaning of this preposterously weak attack? Did your boss really think he'd be able to successfully infiltrate Capsule Corporation with just you?" Gohan knew that some of those comments were low blows but he needed to firmly imprint in the minds of the crooks that he was strong and not afraid to wield his power.

"Uh, our boss wanted us to attack as many people as we could... I'm not sure if he had any actual purpose for trying to infiltrate the building," the addressed grunt replied.

Realizing that all of the 'crooks' in the room were likely just glorified and manipulated dumbasses, Gohan turned his attention towards Videl. "What do you think? Do you think we shou-" Gohan began, only to be cut off by the click of a pistol and a bullet whooshing through the air, directly at the fallen crook at Videl's feet.

Before the teenager could even think to react, a long, flowing cape entered his line of sight, its occupant catching the bullet before it could puncture the fallen goon.

"Masenko-ha!" the Namekian warrior yelled, a bright beam of ki erupting from his hands. The energy blast spiralled towards where the bullet had originated from, making a direct impact. Moments later, a mess of brown hair fell to the floor with a thud, the impact startling Gohan and the others, redirecting their attention to the fallen person.

Gohan's blood began to boil upon seeing who Piccolo's Masenko-ha had hit; if they chocolate brown hair wasn't evidence again, the barely visible spider tattoo over her left breast confirmed it. Bahia Rhizoma had fired at Gohan or someone near him again and had officially signed her own death warrant. The tall demi-Saiyan was just annoyed it wasn't he who had ended the woman's life.

"Taking out the trash, I see," Gohan said, turning to face his mentor. His expression didn't hide his annoyance at the fact that the Namekian warrior had been the one to kill Bahia; he had been longing to wring the treacherous assassin's neck.

"Relax, kid. She's not dead yet. I wouldn't deprive you of that honor. She's clinging onto the final moments of her life, so exterminate the pest however you see fit. Consider it a belated present for each of your past seven birthdays."

As Piccolo finished speaking, Gohan walked over to the fallen assassin. Her brown hair hung fruitlessly over her shoulder as she squeaked out an apology in a last ditch effort to save her skin, yet again. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I never meant any harm! I'll be good, just let me live, please!"

The teenaged warrior snorted in disdain, utterly disgusted by Bahia's pathetic display. "You call yourself an assassin? Where's your honor? You can take a life without hesitation, yet now that your own is in jeopardy suddenly you're nothing? What a disgrace. You attempted to shoot my younger brother and I, from the bottom of my cold heart, allowed you to escape. Then you held Videl at knifepoint but once again I let you come out unscathed. You almost just shot Videl once again and you expect my sympathy? Say goodbye, you bitch."

With one final glance at the spider tattoo that haunted his nightmares, Gohan gruesomely snapped Bahia's neck, instantly silencing her endless babbling. He tossed her useless corpse to the side before looking back at his younger brother's wide, terrified expression.

It only then dawned on the Ox Prince that neither Goten nor Trunks had ever witnessed him being brutal and unforgiving, and that the scene which they had just witnessed would probably scar them. Catching his mentor's eye, he shared a silent look and turned away, ashamed of losing his cool in the presence of his little brother.

"There's nothing to see here kid," Piccolo said while addressing the youngest son of Goku. He ushered Goten away from the gruesome, bloody, and battered body of Bahia Rhizoma, leaving the newly deceased assassin at the feet of Satan City's crime fighting duo.

Piccolo knew that his former protege was deeply ashamed of how he went off the handle when confronted with the person who attempted to kill his brother, hence why the battle hardened warrior ushered Goten and Trunks away to give him some space.

Now with that situation handled, the spawn of the Demon King turned his attention towards the rest of the compound. He had sensed Bulma's fear and distress earlier in the evening, but decided to head for Gohan once he sensed the assorted ki's all around his protege and his group. He knew that both Saiyans would be able to handle themselves adequately, but the disadvantage laid in the advantage of numbers that the goons had.

"Brats," Piccolo started while addressing the younger two Saiyans, "you two kids stick together and stay relatively hidden. I know you're both Saiyans but as you've seen, these enemies use better planning and strategy effectively, putting us at a distinct disadvantage since we're playing one step behind."

Goten and Trunks heeded Piccolo's advice and slipped into a side room intent on fighting on their terms only. The Namekian warrior searched out the ki signatures of his protege and former rival, pinpointing both a few rooms apart; Vegeta was travelling fast in his direction and Gohan had just set out towards him.

Piccolo crossed his arms over his chest and glared in the direction he expected Vegeta to momentarily emerge from. As if on cue, a widow's peak came into view, signalling the arrival of the battle-hardened prince.

"Namek, how many dimwits do you sense in the building?" Vegeta questioned as soon as he came to a stop.

"I can sense two groups of roughly eight that way," Piccolo gestured towards the ground before pointing off in the distance, "and a few loose cannons wandering around."

"I sense the same," the Saiyan agreed. Vegeta squinted, narrowing his eyes in the direction he had arrived from. Moments later, Gohan came stumbling around the corner, Satan's spawn behind him, the pair interlocked at their hands.

"What took you so long, brat?" Vegeta inquired, one eyebrow raised. It looked as if he didn't care much for the answer, but the slight hint of nervousness perceptible in his voice betrayed his underlying worry for his wife.

"I killed Bahia," the Ox Prince spat, the venom with which he said the dead assassin's name impossible miss. Gohan's face betrayed no emotion, as if it were a blank slate. It actually sent chills up the spine of his former mentor; he had not seen Gohan so emotionless since he first found him after the Saiyan had let go of his restraints and gone Super Saiyan.

"Well, look who came out of his soft shell. Ha! Looks like this will be interesting," Vegeta commented. The arrogant prince gave a good laugh at his own comment before focusing his senses.

"Videl," Piccolo started, "why don't you go find Bulma? Vegeta, Gohan, and myself are going to take care of the intruders and it would be safer for you to be with Bulma." Piccolo cast a sideways glance at Gohan with his eyes as he said 'safer', signalling what he really meant with the statement. If Gohan, in his current state, saw Videl get hurt it was very likely he would go off the deep end and nobody would be able to rescue him.

Said girl nodded, assenting. She walked off in the direction that the Namekian warrior motioned, keeping her guard up just in case of any unwanted visitors.

"So, weaklings, can we take care of these blasted intruders now? I'm itching to shed some blood," the Saiyan Prince said. After receiving an eager nod from Gohan and a hesitant nod from Piccolo, the trio set off in different directions, each strong warrior making a beeline for a small group of ki signatures.

Gohan gave in to the growing rage boiling inside him and made a beeline for the biggest mass of ki. He blitzed through the hallways at lightning speed, the picture frames shaking on the walls from the aftershocks of his speed.

Arriving at his destination in less time than it took to sneeze, he narrowed his eyes at the intruders, earning terrified yelps from each one of them as they backed up into the nearest corner, trying to hide themselves from the crazed maniac standing in before them.

Gohan's gaze adopted a menacing tint as he stared into the frightened eyes of the grunts. With lightning speed, the powerful warrior shot forward, his balled fist striking the soldier furthest to left. Upon impact, the intruder let out a blood curdling scream; the contents of his stomach painted the wall a magnificent crimson color. He was dead before his body could even slump against the floor.

The other men in the room, who were already scared enough to soil themselves, spluttered incoherent phrases as the shock of what had happened during the last few moments registered within their minds.

Gohan turned his eerie, maniacal stare on the crook next to the recently deceased. Clearly still driven by bloodlust, the Ox Prince executed a clean cross-chop and sliced directly through the criminal. As if in slow motion, the upper half of the man's body fell lamely to the ground, the man next to him unable smother the startled yelp of surprise which escaped his lips.

The remaining seven intruders took an involuntary step back, their fingers shaking slightly from fear which dominated their minds. The demi-Saiyan was unphased by their obvious terror, instead taking notice of their weaknesses and contemplating ways to dismantle them. Without any warning, the spiky-haired teen dematerialized, phasing back into existence with his balled fist protruding through the back of the grunt farthest away.

He pulled his hand out, grasped the criminal by the neck, and tossed him into a wall, the man's lifeless bones hitting the barrier with a sickening crunch. Six minions down; one to go.

The newborn killer narrowed his eyes and taunted the trespassers. "Who's next, huh? You're all worthless scum and each and every one of you will die in a genuinely interesting fashion, even if I have to toss one of you to the moon. Bahia crossed me for the final time, and her minions will pay dearly."

* * *

><p>When the trio had separated from one another, Piccolo took off after the loose cannons. The intelligent warrior had easily recognized the crazed and distant look in his ex-pupil's eyes. If he didn't dispose of the wanderers swiftly and methodically, they wouldn't live to see another day. Additionally, if his intuition wasn't playing a practical joke on him, Gohan had rocketed towards the largest accumulation of ki signatures - roughly nine or so - and would probably kill each one if Piccolo didn't incapacitate the strays quickly and stop him.<p>

Narrowing his eyes, the Namekian stretched out his senses, searching for the weak ki signals meandering about. One signature was directly above him. Knowing time was of the essence and that collateral damage was something necessary, the former Demon King blasted through the floor of the level above, shattering the silver tiles. Bulma would forgive him. He phased in behind an unsuspecting man and delivered a heavily suppressed chop to the neck, rendering the sitting duck unconscious upon impact.

With one down and three more to quickly find, Piccolo shot off like a jet blazing through the skies towards the next intruder. Moments passed before he saw a barely perceptible shadow creeping around a corner. With no time to waste, he extended his left arm around the corner, grasped the man's neck, and threw him into the wall with just enough force to knock him out.

While he was planning his takedown of the strays, he sensed three ki signals disappear in Gohan's vicinity; he would have to hurry.

* * *

><p>The Prince of all Saiyans always had a temper to match his surly attitude. His temper mellowed out dramatically the more he lived with his harpy of a wife, his son, and adoptive son. When his late arch nemesis had moved on to the Other World, his life had lost its purpose, or so he felt.<p>

After Chi Chi had been assassinated and the brat had flown the coop, he found a new sense of meaning. He couldn't let the final living heir of Kakarot be alone; he felt it was his obligation as the prince of his race to watch over the young half-Saiyan. He didn't think he would grow attached at all to the young carbon copy of his rival, yet the boy entrenched himself in the cold prince's heart much like his own son and wife had.

Maybe it was for this reason that when Goten had been the recipient of a bullet to the chest, it had hit home. The boy he had come to treat as a son, whom he cared for dearly even if he rarely admitted it, was badly hurt and he did nothing to prevent it. It reminded him of the helplessness he felt when he was at the mercy of Frieza when his father died, or Cell when the future version of his son took an energy beam through the heart. It was an extremely unpleasant feeling, one he could do nothing to quell since his surrogate son's brother had first dibs on the woman who hurt Goten.

But then, in an act of kindness rare for a Saiyan, his rival's firstborn son allowed Bahia to escape with her life. So when the wench appeared a second time with reinforcements and threatened his home and his wife, Vegeta swore he could kill that hapless assassin. And yet, Gohan beat him to the punch yet again, brutally murdering the RabitGrass elite.

The gruff warrior was fed up with being beat at his own game of ruthlessness and viciousness. With a heavy sigh, Vegeta placed his arm in front of him and released a steady stream of ki directed at a nearby wall. The wall exploded, bits and pieces of gray concrete were sent flying everywhere, in place of it standing seven absolutely terrified goons, each more frightened of what was to come than the next.

Vegeta had enough self control to at least hold back the vast majority of his power reserves in order to not permanently harm the intruders. Working quick, the impatient warrior delivered swift, painful blows to the abdomen, neck, kneecaps, and various other pain-receptive areas. In under a minute the fighter had knocked every single man in his path unconscious; sensing his fellow Saiyan warrior vanquishing ki's like flies, he sped off in the direction of the eldest demi-Saiyan.

Carth Ehrhardt had a lot of things going for him in life. He had his rockstar looks, of course, and razor-sharp wit. He was an elite commander, a master of his trade. And now, here he was, spearheading the operation to seize Capsule Corporation and commanding a battalion of minions; so high up within his organization that the ultimate, underlying purpose of the mission was something only Carth knew.

The pure black jacket flapped aimlessly as Carth meandered slowly around the compound. If his calculations were correct, the enemy fighters were far too preoccupied to remember him, allowing him free reign of the compound.

While the three warriors were taking care of business, Carth mosied over to his fallen "comrade." He whipped out a cigarette as he reached the inked woman, placing the butt on his lips. As he lit the tip and inhaled, he softly shook his head, staring at the fallen body.

"It's times like these when I wonder why you didn't accept the boss' offer, Miss Rhizoma. So lifeless and helpless lying on the ground, you are. It's such a shame, too, for you had so much potential as a sniper and killer, but you just let it slip through those slender fingers of yours, and now you're nothing more than a rotten, worthless carcass."

Carth stood there for a few more minutes before pressing the burnt end of his cigarette to Bahia's tattoo and putting the small ignited area out. "Now it is time to do what I really came here for. You and your cronies really served as an excellent distraction." The RabitGrass soldier kicked the dead corpse in the side and spit on it before turning around and slowly walking towards the room a few doors down where he spied his true target.

The tall RabitGrass elite softly traced the outline of the secret doorway he had made before entering a dimly lit room. He could hear voices resonating from roughly twenty yards away as the room was as expansive as it was dark. Summoning his sneaky tendencies, Carth crept up behind the first occupant of the room. He unsheathed a knife in one hand and a cloth in the other then proceeded to shove the cloth, soaked in chloroform, in the blue-haired woman's mouth. He immediately silenced any potential protests she had and held it there until the woman's struggling ceased and she fell unconscious to the floor.

He took pleasure in the fact that his stealth skills were still sharp enough to incapacitate one member of the room without alerting the other to his presence. He tiptoed behind his ultimate target, punctured her side with the knife, placed his second chloroform rag in her mouth, and smirked as she fell unconscious while rapidly losing blood. Once he was sure her life force was waning, he shouted a pair of words and disappeared into the night with Coco's latest success, Videl Satan.

* * *

><p>It all happened so fast. One moment, Vegeta and Piccolo had barged in on Gohan beheading a criminal; the next, all three heads snapped in the same direction. Bulma was the first to fall, her ki decreasing to a stable but weakened level. All three had taken off at that moment, knowing Videl was also there.<p>

Before they'd reached the room, Videl's ki had began weakening before it fell to almost nothing and then disappeared off the face of the Earth.

Gohan's pupils began to dilate, his anger radiating off of his Saiyan physique in spades. His hair flashed back and forth to a glowing blonde shade, the spikes flowing directly upward.

Letting out a ferocious howl, the strong Saiyan bared his teeth, transforming straight into the second stage of Super Saiyan. "She's dead, and that self-righteous fucking asshole is going to join her in about ten seconds." Before Piccolo or Vegeta could stop him, he rocketed off in the direction Videl's signature had disappeared from.

"This isn't good Vegeta. He's gone off the deep end," Piccolo commented, a sense of worry overcoming the Namekian's eyes in a rare lapse of his cool composure.

"It's going to be entertaining at the least. I just can't believe we didn't sense anyone near the Satan spawn and the woman. Whoever killed Videl has less than a minute to live, that's for sure."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Brought to you by Darkvoid116, Kanotari and Raiynethehedgehog.<strong>


	17. The Master Plan

Chapter 17: The Master Plan

Anyone with the ability to sense ki knew something huge was going down within the walls of the Capsule Corporation headquarters. The immense power level resonating from the center of the large building was a clear indication that something of note was occurring.

Sensing Gohan's transformation to Super Saiyan Two caused Krillin to accelerate on his path to Capsule Corporation. Originally he took off towards the Lookout, but quickly realized that Piccolo wasn't there; he too had noticed that something was amiss at the Brief household. The new father expanded his ki to its maximum as he came close enough to West City to differentiate between the emotions within Gohan. The tall Super Saiyan was obviously in a stage of ferociousness and emotional disconnect very few could match. He would need to be stopped; Gohan wouldn't be able to do it himself.

Flying high just outside the city limits, Krillin spotted something odd: a man carrying a limp body through the night sky. As he swooped in for a closer look, he recognized the girl as Videl Satan, that girl who had been spending a lot of time with Gohan of late. She lay slumped across the arms of the unfamiliar man. Krillin didn't know what could possibly make the vivacious girl act so lifeless, but whatever it was, he doubted that it was good. Worse still, he couldn't sense any ki from her or the man carrying her, a fact which scared the formerly bald monk. Halting his frantic flight to pay more attention, his eyes followed the unknown man and the Satan girl as the duo disappeared into the trees at the foot of the mountains. Storing the information in the back of his mind, Krillin resumed his journey to Capsule Corporation, landing within minutes on the soft green grass.

* * *

><p>Hyperventilating.<p>

That was the main course of action the Saiyan prince was considering given the circumstances. As much as he had tortured his body and put it through gruelling exercises for seven long years, the unfortunate yet obvious truth was finally glaring at him: Gohan was still stronger. Sure, he had achieved the transformation to Super Saiyan Level Two, but his rival's son's power level dwarfed him a several times over and he wasn't even one hundred percent positive the boy was at his maximum. If nobody could corral Gohan's emotions and it came down to a one-on-one battle between he and the spiky-haired Super Saiyan, there was no doubt in his mind the Ox Prince would trounce him and he'd be left for dead.

The other main thought running through Vegeta's head was the questionable state of his wife's health. He could still feel her energy within the walls of his home, which reassured him the slightest bit. What greatly concerned him, however, was the fact that her ki was still lower than its normal resting level. Nobody had sensed who or what had totally and completely decimated that buffoon's daughter's strength, so Vegeta wouldn't be absolutely satisfied until he could see those familiar strands of blue hair and ocean-blue eyes.

It amazed him how much he had changed over the years. First, for Bulma. Then, for Trunks. Then again for Goten. Seven years ago, Vegeta would have given exactly zero fucks if the mother of his child was in harm's way. Hell, she _had_been in danger right under his nose, and it was the future version of his son who saved not only Bulma, but Trunks as well. Shrugging it off and promising to evaluate his transformation a bit more at a later date, Vegeta sped up; he could feel Gohan in the vicinity of his wife, dangerously close for the Saiyan Prince's liking.

Blasting through the maze-like labyrinth of hallways, the flame-haired warrior came to a full stop in front of one of the more secure rooms in his abode with Piccolo hot on his heels. The pair watched wide-eyed as the teenaged Super Saiyan stood in the center of the room, lightning flaring dangerously on the edge of his aura and pupils gone, muscles pulsing.

The sight alone was enough to scare the bravest soul, never mind the incredible power radiating off of his body mixed together with the varying array of emotions-anger, frustration, and fear, among others-existent in his mind. The experienced fighters shared a glance, Vegeta's eyes slightly wider than usual, a barely-perceptible sign of his nervousness. Piccolo too was extremely tense and hyper-aware of the situation, Kami's half allowing him to maintain a stern composure in the face of adversity.

Videl was nowhere in the room, but Bulma was lying on a couch with a damp towel pressed to her forehead; Vegeta surmised that, even in his crazed state, Gohan wasn't completely gone, given that he had remembered to take care of his friends first.

The surly Super Saiyan rushed to his blue-haired partner's side, looking down with a mask of indifference adorning his now pale features, due to his transformation to the legendary state. He shook her slightly, assuming Gohan hadn't done so since he was unstable and could accidentally kill Bulma with his strength. Soon, her blue eyes fluttered open groggily, her hands immediately shooting up to soothe her sudden pounding headache.

Vegeta allowed himself a small sigh of relief now that his woman was conscious and physically fine, but knew that they needed to retrieve any intel the Brief heiress might have as to who had attacked and ambushed her. He knelt by her side, and she looked into his jet black eyes with her piercing blue ones, which were still slightly disoriented.

"Who did this to you?" he demanded softly. His voice was surprisingly quiet, but full of intensity. Those listening had no doubt that whoever had dared to touch the Saiyan's wife would suffer a long and painful death.

"He...he had really cold hands," she answered.

The Prince of all Saiyans shot her an incredulous look. "How helpful," he spat sarcastically, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"I know, I know," Bulma sighed in response. "He snuck up behind me. I didn't notice him until he was holding a cloth over my mouth. It must've had chloroform in it or something, because I blacked out. His hands were freezing, like...like touching metal!"

Vegeta sighed exasperated, realizing this was a potential dead end. Or was it? The gears in the Saiyan prince's brain began to turn, and quickly, too. Perhaps his wife's assailant didn't just have hands _like_metal...

"Were his hands clammy?" he demanded to know.

Bulma's started at the ceiling, gently biting her lip as she searched through hazy memories. "No, they were dry," she decided at last.

"How cold were they?" Vegeta asked.

"I don't know!" the heiress replied exasperatedly. "What kind of question is that?"

"Just answer it, woman!"

"Like ice, I guess," she answered with a shrug. "I don't see how this matters, Vegeta."

Raising an eyebrow ever so slightly, Vegeta pondered this new information - it didn't disprove his theory, but it also did not exactly strengthen the possibility of the far-fetched idea coming to fruition.

Bulma looked at her husband knowingly; his pensive expression was oh so familiar. "This means something to you, doesn't it?"

"Maybe," he murmured softly, still thinking.

"Just tell us, Vegeta," Gohan interrupted impatiently. "Why are cold hands so important?"

"Give me a second to think, you impatient brat," he spat back in the demi-Saiyan's direction. After a moment, he continued. "What if they weren't hands at all?"

"Brilliant," Gohan replied sarcastically. "The hands weren't hands at all. What are you on, Vegeta?"

"On?" Again, he raised an eyebrow, unfamiliar with the term. "Woman, what does he mean? He was insulting me; I know it!" The Prince of all Saiyans growled at the dark-haired teen, being his usual aggressive self.

"Gohan..." Bulma chided, her maternal instincts kicking in. "Be polite. He has a good point... I think. On second thought, perhaps we could use some more details."

The prince scoffed. "Isn't it obvious?" he said scathingly. "The bastard who did this is clever. He managed to play you all for fools! There must be a logical reason for the cold hands."

"Maybe they were metal gloves. Gauntlets," Piccolo proposed. It was his first statement of the conversation, drawing the attention of the other three occupants, who'd apparently forgotten of his existence.

Gohan was skeptical. "That's ridiculous. Why would anyone wear gauntlets and no other kind of armor? What are they trying to protect?"

Bulma felt differently though. She bit her lip thoughtfully and said, "You know, that lines up with my memory. I might have felt cold metal."

Gohan snorted disdainfully at the heiress' statement, likely thinking in his irrational state of mind that Bulma was just agreeing with Vegeta to go against him, just to spite him.

"Now we need to decide what all of this means," Piccolo interjected, adding his two cents.

At that very moment, the door slammed open and Krillin burst into the room. The shorter bald man was huffing as he came to a full stop, his hands perched on his knees.

"Thank goodness I found you!" he wheezed out between gasps.

"Must have been challenging with your lackluster ki detection abilities," Vegeta spat with disgust evident in his voice.

"Videl!" Krillin finally managed to say.

"We all felt-" the Saiyan prince started, but he was cut off by Gohan with a vicious elbow to the stomach. This caused Vegeta to shoot a dirty look at the teenager, his onyx eyes glinting dangerously.

"What happened to her ki?" the bald man demanded.

"Are you some kind of moron?" Vegeta hissed. "Don't answer that-I know you are. What do you _think_happens when someone's ki signature vanishes, Baldy?"

Bulma bowed her head, blue eyes swimming with tears. Gohan, on the other hand, wore a stoic mask as he clenched his teeth to keep from shouting obscenities in his rage, knowing that he wouldn't be able to say it aloud. It was Piccolo who finally broke the news. He placed a comforting, green hand on Krillin's shoulder and sighed heavily.

"She's dead."

Krillin tried to laugh; the raven-haired girl couldn't be dead. He'd just seen her! The expressions on the faces of his comrades, however, caused the sound to die on his lips. He looked at Piccolo, confused, his dark brown gaze demanding an explanation.

"Someone ambushed Bulma and Videl," the Namekian explained. "They just knocked Bulma out, but..."

"Why not just knock Videl out too?" the bald man prompted.

Piccolo could only shrug; his guess was as good as anyone else's. "We suddenly couldn't feel her anymore. Her ki just vanished...snuffed out like a candle."

That statement sparked something in Krillin's mind, and his eyes widened dramatically. "What if she hid her ki?" He glanced at Gohan, her sensei in a sense, hoping for the best.

The teen shook his head solemnly. "She didn't learn it from me." It was obvious that he had a struggle controlling his voice-even that simple sentence seemed to be just shy of a growl.

"What if someone else hid it for her?" Bulma interjected. As a human who was greatly lacking in the combat department, her understanding of ki was sketchy at best. Her husband gave her an incredulous glare, and the other warriors simply ignored her, all but Piccolo that is.

"Your wife," Piccolo deduced, putting the pieces together.

"What about her?" Vegeta demanded, getting defensive of his woman as he turned his glare to the Namekian fiercely.

"Not _you_," Piccolo said, verbally pushing him aside. "You." His green index finger pointed slightly below parallel at the man who had just joined them: Krillin.

"Eighteen?" he asked hesitantly. "She's fine, I suppose. Home with Marron... but is this really the time to talk about her?"

"We can't sense her," the green alien clarified.

"No..." Krillin confirmed, still confused. "Are you saying that Videl is an android?"

"Quiet, Baldy," the Saiyan prince quipped. "That's an idiotic idea."

"Her brother's energy shield..." Piccolo mused as the pieces all came together. "The cold hands... the missing ki..."

"Do us all a favor and just shut up, Vegeta. I've had enough of your attitude for one day," Gohan growled.

The prince whipped his gaze towards the teenager, glaring at him with furious obsidian eyes. "Are you trying to start something, brat?" the elder Saiyan replied aggressively, a low growl in his throat as well.

Gohan took several steps toward the shorter man, drawing himself up to his full height and cracking his neck menacingly. His own expression was dark and furious. "What if I am?"

Krillin boldly raced between the two warriors just as sparks began to appear in the air from their growing anger. "Save it for later! We should be figuring out a way to save Videl, not fighting!"

"Saving her from what? The grim reaper?" Vegeta asked scathingly.

Gohan ignored his opponent's obvious bait, focusing on Krillin intently. "Yes, Krillin. From what?" His voice was deadly serious.

The intensity of the demi-Saiyan's piercing stare made the bald man gulp uncomfortably. "The man."

"Who?!" Gohan demanded, grabbing Krillin's collar. "Who, dammit?"

If Krillin had felt uncomfortable before, it was nothing to his current state of panic. The demi-Saiyan's pupils were flashing teal, and his muscular hands, capable of folding steel girders into origami swans, were wrapped around his neck, uncomfortably tight.

"Don't know!" he choked out. "Never saw him before."

"Describe him, then," Gohan hissed.

"Tallish... blonde... leather jacket..." The nervous man wracked his brain for every little detail, his forehead scrunching as he concentrated.

"That's it? That's all you can give me?!" The teenager's eyes were solid teal by this point, and the tips of his hair were beginning to lighten. His mere aura was electric and daunting.

"H-he was smoking a cigarette!" Krillin stammered.

"The man who attacked me smelled like cigarette smoke!" Bulma remembered suddenly.

"...chains dangling..." the bald man continued.

Vegeta's jaw dropped. "That RabitGrass bastard!"

"Where is he?" Gohan insisted, his voice horribly loud in the echoing ruins of Bulma's laboratory.

"He was carrying her into the mountains."

Krillin gave a squeak of surprise as the pressure on his collar was relieved, rubbing his neck where the Ox Prince had left bruises. Gohan was gone.

* * *

><p>Piccolo offered his hand to the short monk, helping him off the floor. Krillin grunted in thanks, gingerly rubbing his neck, then watched as Vegeta escorted his wife upstairs to check on their children. It was good timing; he needed to talk to Piccolo. The Namekian was level-headed no matter what the circumstances were. Vegeta was too impulsive and aggressive, Gohan was currently teetering on the brink of insanity, and Bulma, while good-intentioned, was sometimes impractical.<p>

The green alien, too, made to leave the room, but Krillin grasped his forearm. Piccolo despised being touched, and recoiled away from the contact instinctively. The shorter man gave him a sheepish look, but said, "Wait."

The Namekian crossed his arms and turned to face his ally, patiently biding his time while Krillin fidgeted around in his pockets. At last, he produced a leather-bound book an proffered it to the alien, who extended a green arm and took it, thumbing through the yellowed pages. His eyes skimmed over the addresses in spidery script, then flicked toward Krillin. The momentary glance was clear enough; he had no clue why the little man had handed him a seemingly innocent address book. Krillin gestured for Piccolo to return the book, which he did with a curious expression. The human then looked through the pages, searching intently for something. When he found it, he turned the book toward the Namekian and pointed.

"Bahia Rhizoma?" the alien read aloud. "Krillin... whose book is this?"

"Well let's just say you were right, Piccolo."

* * *

><p>The moment Vegeta had mentioned RabitGrass, Gohan's insides began boiling furiously. He had maintained enough sense not to permanently injure Krillin and thus restrained himself for when he found and inevitably maimed Carth.<p>

Powering up once more, Gohan pushed the limits of his strength, barrelling towards the mountain range at breakneck speed. Towns, cities, grasslands... they all appeared in his field of vision and promptly disappeared as Gohan continued on at his frantically fast pace.

Within the span of five minutes, the demi-Saiyan had arrived near the mountains and was hovering, scanning the mountainside with his sharp Saiyan eyesight. Even in his disconnected, estranged state of mind, he could recognize something fishy was going on with Carth: Why couldn't he sense anyone near Videl? What was going on?

It was happening all over again.

This group, this RabitGrass group, Coco, everyone; they were all conspiring against him. He'd lost his mother and spent the better portion of an entire decade aimlessly wandering across the globe, and now, after creating a bond with Hercule Satan's daughter, he had lost her. He couldn't protect her, just like he failed to protect the woman who gave meaning to his life, who birthed him, protected him, and made him feel _human_.

The more and more Gohan's thoughts raced, the more his emotions calmed down. As his heart rate slowed, he fell out of his Super Saiyan state and became more relaxed. Rationally, Gohan realized killing more than a dozen of Carth's minions in pure anger and hatred was probably not a wise decision. He might have been able to extract information from some of them, especially after proving that his threats were _very _real.

Now that his head was clear, Gohan tried to piece the puzzle together. There were obviously still many elements to the mystery surrounding Coco that hadn't come into the light yet. He still wasn't aware of exactly _why _the diabolical criminal mastermind had targeted his mother, except for the obvious appeal of her royal lineage. Was there more to it? Did someone pay Coco to exterminate his own flesh and blood?

Ever since he'd learned of Coco's existence, however, his life had been turned upside down. He had found his brother and a friend -a _true _friend that is- and had been reintegrated into the lives of those he had once held dear. He had also tracked down several members of Coco's organization, each higher up than the last. Hopefully, he was zeroing in on the head honcho himself.

The adolescent Ox Prince suddenly noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Instantly, he zoomed towards the soft grass below him, landing with a moderately heavy thud on the mountainous terrain. He scanned his surroundings with his ki detection abilities, and noticed that nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It didn't add up; his senses told him that everything was fine, but his intuition begged to differ.

Then, Gohan heard a rustle.

Instantly, he tensed, muscles coiling like an animal preparing to pounce. He slowly walked towards the bushes, where he could still hear the faint rustling sound. His golden aura pulsed around his being, lending an electrifying sense to the air. As he walked, his spiky hair flowed lightly in the gentle breeze, his fists clenched tightly at his sides, his turquoise eyes full of startling intensity as he crept closer and closer to the source of the rustle.

A wide-eyed squirrel stared at him innocently, and he heaved a sigh of relief. A part of him was excited for the rematch, ready to annihilate Carth for everything he had done. The rest of him remembered how thoroughly the blonde man had trounced them in their battle of wits back at Capsule Corp.

As he pushed aside some emerald leaves, he found himself in a clearing. There was a old, run-down looking house off to the left, fully equipped with a pure maroon awning and an old, multicolored chimney which shot up into the crystal blue sky. The home had three windows visible from Gohan's angle, two on the second floor and one on the first, and looked moderately large in size; it was definitely large enough for at least three or four people to reside in it. Gohan slowly mosied his way over to the house, being certain to keep his guard up and be on the lookout for any sign of either Carth or Videl.

The spiky-haired part-Saiyan grasped the brass doorknob and turned it ever so slightly, testing whether or not the door was locked. He conveniently found it unlocked and stealthily made his way into the abode, sure to make as little noise as possible, despite the fact that he couldn't sense a single ki signature. Of course, if the inhabitants knew how to hide their ki, he could be walking into an ambush. Senses working in overdrive, he stepped through the door and jumped into action.

Gohan scanned his surroundings thoroughly and rushed silently through the entire house in search of any signs of life. When at last he deduced that the structure was empty, the Saiyan warrior clenched his fists at his sides, utterly frustrated at yet another dead end. He wanted, no _needed, _to find Videl as quickly as possible and his progress was being continually disrupted, much to his chagrin.

Goku's firstborn son noticed there were ashes on the floor next to the chimney place. Despite his crazed state, he still maintained the portion of his brain which made him a borderline genius. He walked over to the ashes and shifted the grains of soot between his pointer and middle finger. _This almost looks as if somebody put this fireplace out in a hurry; it's like somebody was here recently. Maybe they left something important in their rush._

He glanced around the room several times, each time giving a fresh, new annoyed grunt when he didn't find anything out of the ordinary. He then finally decided to search the remainder of the rooms with his newfound sense of hope. After a few minutes, Gohan stumbled upon a locked mahogany door with the word "Study" emblazoned on a bright golden plate. The frustrated demi-Saiyan used a sufficient amount of force and punched straight through the door, ripping the entryway right off its hinges as he pulled his balled fist back to his body. With the obstacle cleared, he entered the room.

The fine layer of dust that coated the rest of the house was nowhere to be found here. It was practically untouched by time. Someone had been in this room, and recently, and Gohan had a hunch as to why. The papers on the desk did not match the immaculate state of the rest of the room; they were crumpled, as though someone had been leafing through them in a hurry, looking for something. The teen doubted that whatever it was would still be around, but maybe there was a clue. He sat down in the aged leather chair and began to rifle through the papers.

On top was a shopping list of sorts, but for not for any dinner that he'd ever eaten. It called for wires and gizmos and metal pieces... Gohan deduced that the house must have belonged to a builder or an inventor or something. Interestingly, he didn't see anything about any kind of power source, which he found odd. What kind of device would you build that had wires, but no current to flow through them?

He smiled widely when he noticed a rectangular blue piece of graph paper in the corner of the desk. Stowing the shopping list away for further inspection at a later date, he grasped the paper eagerly. The diagram on the front side was written in fine pencil and spidery scrawl. It was of a humanoid body, but with modifications here and there. The most promising part of the plans from what Gohan could see was that there were apparently metal cylinders on the palms of the figure. It almost appeared to be a cyborg of sorts. As he reached this conclusion, the gears in Gohan's brain began to grind.

He flipped over the blue piece of paper, hoping to find more crucial information on the reverse side. What he found shocked him however. Although he was too young to have been alive during its heyday, he could picture very clearly the two bright red 'R's which formed the insignia for the Red Ribbon Army.

The flipside of the blueprints showed names, addresses, and titles such as "Commander Yellow- Carth Ehrhardt" and other such assignments.

The very top of the page showed the mastermind behind everything.

Gohan's blood boiled as he began to piece together everything which had happened to him in the last seven years. He softly read aloud the words, venom lacing his voice.

"Dr. Gero's final stand: Operation Son Takedown and Red Ribbon Army Resurgence."

**Chapter by Kanotari, DarkVoid116, and RaiynetheHedgehog**


	18. Kidnapped

Chapter 18: Kidnapped

His mind was racing as he blasted through the skies on the way back to Capsule Corp. That man, the one responsible for so many hundreds of deaths and for ruining his life for a solid decade was involved. It was incomprehensible for Gohan to fathom. He was dead, for crying out loud!

The spiky-haired Saiyan spotted the bright yellow dome off in the distance and gave one final push with his energy before allowing his aura to dissipate as he landed. He'd already reached out with his senses moments prior in order to pinpoint the location of Krillin and Piccolo, the two people he felt it necessary to talk to as soon as possible. When he first encountered Bahia within his godmother's compound, his anger over the entire situation had reached a boiling point. Now, after careful consideration and the time to cool off, he realized he might have been a bit rash. He was still angrier than usual and wanted to rip Carth Ehrhardt apart limb from limb and feed him to Icarus, but he had narrowed all of his frustrations towards just the RabitGrass elite.

Gohan rushed right up to the front door of the highly-esteemed company and nearly ripped the bright pink entryway off its hinges. As soon as he was within the confines of the building, he refocused his senses and started off in the direction of his former mentor. He rounded the corner to see the tall green alien casually walking down the hallway, Krillin at his heels. Gohan handed him the blueprints, now crumpled in his fist from the sheer intensity with which he'd been holding them.

Piccolo's eyes narrowed as he read the document. Gohan could tell that the information, while new, had not surprised the Namekian.

Did he know information pertaining to Dr. Gero's involvement in all of this? Could he help make the entire picture more clear? These were the two main questions bouncing around inside Gohan's head. He didn't doubt Piccolo for even a millisecond, but obviously the Namekian warrior had known something beforehand, even if it wasn't particularly important.

"You don't seem surprised. Explain," Gohan demanded. "Now."

"Do you remember when you came to me with the information Bahia originally provided, about tracing an IP address to somewhere in the vicinity of North City?" Piccolo probed.

Gohan's eyes lit up. "Yes. What about it?" It was phrased as a question, but the gears in his brain were already cranking and it was clear he was piecing everything together already.

"I had Krillin investigate the only area I could think of in the vicinity of North City: that old kook of a doctor's lab. He found some interesting things there, but I only learned what he had found after you left to go search for Videl." Piccolo's voice made it plainly obvious that he didn't care whether or not Gohan was annoyed with the situation.

Gohan, realizing his friend wasn't going to expand upon the shorter warrior's findings, turned to Krillin with an expectant look etched across his features. "Well? What did you find at Gero's lab?" he questioned once it became clear Krillin wasn't going to speak without being prompted to.

"H-here Gohan," Krillin sputtered. The smaller man knew better than to test the patience of a warrior of Gohan's caliber, especially when said warrior was hanging on tooth and nail for news about a close lady friend. It also didn't help that the teenage Saiyan had an emotionally driven inner strength dormant within himself.

Gohan grasped the yellow address book from Krillin's clutches and thumbed through the pages, looking for any pertinent information. He needed something, anything, to help locate Videl and Carth as soon as physically possible. While he was scouring the book, Krillin silently walked up besides him and placed a hand on the book as well. When Gohan noticed, he made eye contact with Krillin, who slid his finger over the edge of the pages, looking for something. The bald man's fingertips brushed a folded page, and flipped the leather-bound book open to said page, turning it around for Gohan to read.

As the demi-Saiyan read the content on the page, his brow furrowed in concentration. His lips mouthed the hated name as his eyes scanned the page. "This was in Dr. Gero's lab?" Upon receiving a firm, confident nod from Piccolo and a hesitant nod from Krillin, Gohan continued flipping through the book. "What do you two suppose all of this means?" he questioned. "Do you think Dr. Gero funded Coco or do you think that they might be utilizing Gero's technology? And how was Bahia receiving her payments if Gero is dead?"

"Personally, I wouldn't be surprised by anything at this point. I never would have envisioned we would encounter people working for Gero or even involved with Gero ever again, but that happened. What did you think of these blueprints in light of this development, Gohan?" Piccolo retorted after considering the entire situation.

"I don't know what to make of them. I thought maybe Gero was using the cabin I found -" Gohan started before being interrupted by Krillin.

"What cabin?" the smaller bald man inquired.

"Oh... right," Gohan started. He realized that in his haste to share his findings, he had forgotten to reveal how he'd found the information. "I set off into the mountains like Krillin said I should and eventually found a cabin. I searched the entire place, but neither Videl nor Carth were there. In fact, it was completely vacant, though it looked like someone had been there recently. This scrap of paper was the only valuable clue in the entire building."

Piccolo nodded, taking in the information. "Perhaps Gero had a contingency plan of some sorts, which would launch if he died," the alien suggested.

The teenage Super Saiyan bit his lip in contemplation, pondering the Namekian warrior's question. "That's my best explanation, but it doesn't line up with what we know. Do you think he was going to initiate this plan after the Androids wreaked havoc on the world, but died before putting it into motion?" he queried.

Both Piccolo and Gohan thought it over, but the green alien offered his input first. "What was the name of the guy who infiltrated Capsule Corp. with Bahia?"

"Carth Ehrhardt," Gohan supplied, practically snarling the name, "The arrogant snob introduced himself. What are you thinking Piccolo?"

Piccolo didn't say anything else, but it was clear that the cryptic alien was deeply thinking about something and reviewing all of the information in his head. The Namekian snatched the small book from the teen's hands. He began flipping through the pages, his eyes intently scanning for something. After a few minutes of aimlessly searching, the green alien stopped thumbing through pages and looked up, making direct eye contact with Gohan. Without another sound, he spun the book around in his hands so his former pupil could discern the words on the page.

"Carth Ehrhardt," Gohan began as realization dawned on him. "This is an address associated with that guy, Piccolo?" he asked the older Namek. Upon receiving an affirmative gesture, Gohan read aloud the rest of the information on the page. "52-14 Sarkhall Street, North City. Huh, that's close to where Dr. Gero's mountain hideout was, isn't it?"

"The old man's lab was essentially embedded into the mountainside. If I had to guess, I would say this new location isn't more than a couple of miles away from it. Are you thinking of checking this place out right now, Gohan?" Piccolo asked the demi-Saiyan.

"Yeah," Gohan confirmed. He then turned to the bald man and asked, "Krillin, could you come with me as well?"

"Uh, sure Gohan," Krillin responded hesitantly. "Why do you want me to come with you though?" The vertically challenged monk maintained a tough facade on the outside, but was clearly nervous when push came to shove. His fingers were shaking lightly, a few beads of sweat running down his forehead as he awaited his longtime friend's answer. There was no doubt in Gohan's mind that Krillin was terrified to be alone with him right now, and frankly he couldn't blame him.

"I just went off the deep end, Krillin; if something were to set me off, I think you or Piccolo would be the only ones capable of keeping me calm, but I'd prefer Piccolo stay here where Goten is."

On that final exclamation point, the trio ended their conversation and Krillin and Gohan set off for the main entrance of Capsule Corporation, intent on flying to North City.

* * *

><p>"How come you always get to be Goku?!" Goten demanded.<p>

"Because I'm bigger than you," laughed Trunks, drawing himself up to his full height and lording over his little brother.

"But I look like him!" the black-haired boy insisted. "I should be him!"

"But you're also icky, like King Piccolo," Trunks informed him. "I couldn't possibly play him... I'm too cool."

"Be nice to your brother!" Bulma chimed in, giggling softly. Her sons, both biological and adopted, could be such jerks to each other sometimes! She had to admit that it was pretty adorable watching them reenact Goku's adventures. It really brought her back to the days when she had barely known the energetic Saiyan and yet had saved the world together.

The Red Ribbon Army... what an exciting time that had been. Every moment of her life was a nail-biter back then. She remembered worrying for Goku as he fought his way through Muscle Tower, the World Martial Arts tournaments, and the Red Ribbon Army. She remembered the time those two soldiers wanted to have "fun" with her while she was shopping, and how she panicked and fled until her little Saiyan friend could save her. She remembered dealing with that perverted pig Roshi, and Oolong as well, trying to keep her panties to herself. Most of all, she remembered the constant terror, her concern for her friends, and the rough life on the road.

Bulma was glad it was over, and as soon as this whole incident was over, she fully intended on returning to her happy life with her family. Vegeta chose that moment to join his family in the kitchen as if Bulma's thoughts had summoned him. More than likely, he was just hungry.

For once, the presence of food failed to put a trademark half-smile on the Saiyan prince's face. That, in conjunction with his furrowed brow, told Bulma that something was wrong.

"So what did Piccolo have to say?" she asked softly, not wanting to the boys, who were now sparring over who would play Goku, to know the severity of the situation.

"Dr. Gero is involved. They said you would know the name," he replied before shoving the oversized sandwich down his throat. Bulma did in fact, know the name. The crazy scientist who had constructed the androids wasn't someone she could forget easily.

"You know who he is too," she corrected. "He was one of the first androids you fought."

"The fat one or the one old one?" Vegeta asked through a mouthful of bread and roast beef.

Bulma rolled her eyes. "The old one."

"Isn't he dead?" the Saiyan countered.

She nodded. The Red Ribbon Army scientist was dead now, along with so many others. Dr. Gero, like so many of his allies, had escaped the Army's destruction. Gero had chosen to try to build a master race, but the other fugitives? Where were they now? What were they doing? Were they still up to their old tricks? Bulma like to think that the threat of a crazy child who could turn into a monkey was enough to keep them in line, but still... it was unsettling to think about.

"If he's so pathetic, then why should I care about his name on some piece of paper?" Vegeta scoffed.

"Gero himself may have been weak," Bulma admitted, "but he was a scientist and not a warrior. His creations are frightening." She turned to watch the children, laughing as their brawl devolved into a tickle fight and shrill laughter filled the air. "That is why you should worry, Vegeta," she said, gesturing at their boys.

He raised an eyebrow. Apparently he saw nothing wrong with the kids' antics.

"Dr. Gero created Seventeen and Eighteen, and all the other androids. Don't get me wrong, Eighteen is a fantastic ally, but she could snap Trunks and Goten in half if she so chose. Imagine if she weren't on our side... Imagine if Gero's other creations, the mad ones, were to be set loose on this world."

"I'd put 'em back in there place," Vegeta said confidently. Bulma bit the inside of her lip. He could be so damn confident sometimes. She could only hope that he spoke the truth.

* * *

><p>The entire flight thus far, Gohan had been consumed in his thoughts and emotions. Everything that he had discovered recently kept playing back over and over again in his head, tormenting his mind relentlessly.<p>

For over seven years now, he had been wondering why. He cared about absolutely nothing, but discovering the reason why his mother was assassinated and finding, then subsequently punishing, the people responsible accordingly.

Locking himself away from the outside world did wonders for his psyche, allowing him the necessary escape he needed in order to cope with the trauma in his own way. And yet, through it all, he could never fully escape the horrors of that day. Nothing he could ever do could rid him of the painful memories.

He was a good person, right? He saved the world for crying out loud! Why then had life dealt him this wretched hand? He had only just recently met his little brother, both of his parents were dead, and all of the people important to him had heard hide nor hair of him until the past month. On top of all of it, each and every RabitGrass fish he reeled in made him think he was that much closer to finding his mother's killer, which only opened up a half dozen more cans of worms; he just couldn't find that big fish in the sea that was his mother's murder case.

When he felt the tears pricking at the corner of his right eye, he wiped away the salty liquid on his forearm. The duo was approaching North City at that point and Gohan didn't want to divulge any information to Krillin that might hint he was emotionally drained.

Shaking his head once to clear his mind, Gohan narrowed his eyes, focusing on the horizon where he could spot North City. The sun was more than half hidden behind the mountain tops on the edge of the city, making for an uncomfortable glare right in Gohan's tear-stained eyes.

"Krillin!" Gohan called out over the rush of the wind, garnering the older monk's attention. "Do you see the warehouse anywhere?"

"Not yet, Kid," Krillin replied. The shorter monk in all honestly seemed shocked he had been able to keep up with Gohan since it didn't appear he was purposely going slow at all.

After a few minutes of hovering high in the clouds, obscured from view, Gohan spotted a tall building which looked broken down and worn, not to mention barren. Assuming it to be the warehouse the duo was looking for, Gohan motioned toward it with his fingers and began descending gracefully.

"All right Krillin, let's search this place for anything. I'm at my wits' end with this Coco guy, so let's rip this place to pieces to find any information about Videl." At that, Gohan landed on the roof with the grace of a cat, careful not to alert anyone to their presence.

Krillin lowered himself to the ground next to Gohan and the duo glided over to the door, where Gohan fumbled with the handle impatiently for two or three seconds before ripping it clean off its hinges.

The short martial artist stood there with his eyes slightly wide at Gohan's impatience. "Are you in that much of a hurry, Gohan?" he asked.

"I just want to get Videl back. The longer I go without her near me, the more I feel like I've failed. I virtually blackmailed her into being my guinea pig to lure Coco out, you know, right? She's my responsibility and I promised myself that I would never let another friend die. Yet I became so consumed in my anger yet again that another person I care about is most likely dead. So yes, Krillin, I am in a big fucking hurry."

Krillin gulped in response, not having expected such an emotionally-driven retort. "Sorry I asked," he mumbled, putting his hands in front of his body defensively, trying to maintain the distance between them.

"Let's just get into the warehouse, Krillin." Gohan flew down the staircase at incredibly high speeds and within milliseconds, had reached the ground floor in complete silence. He did another ki scan of the building and came to the same conclusion as when he was on the roof: nobody with any amount of ki was in the immediate vicinity.

Gohan checked all of the nooks and crannies of the warehouse, searching for any locked doors, secluded areas, or just anything which could give him another clue. After about twenty-five minutes with fruitless results, the half-Saiyan found one door that was padlocked and welded shut. The padlock made sense; there had to be something hidden in this building. The welding, on the other hand, was unsettling. What on Earth was so important that it required that kind of protection?

The spiky-haired teen prepared a relatively weak ki blast and obliterated every last trace of the obstacle. When the door was a thing of the past and Krillin had caught up, the pair entered into the apparently secret room. It was mostly plain, adorned with solid white walls, silverish tiled flooring, and a single table in the center.

Gohan crept up to the table, examining its contents. On lay a cold body, covered in a blue and red checkered blanket. It was... not what he expected, to say the least. With the heavy, reinforced door, he had expected some sort of weapon, or a terrifying creature, or something dangerous at least, not a lifeless corpse. It made no sense. Out of curiosity, he lifted the blanket covering the body's torso, but what he saw was not human.

Gohan found himself face to face with all sorts of wires, gizmos, and gadgets. The machinery lay as still as the body, though from the slight abrasions on the metal, the Saiyan guessed that the... person... thing... had been functional at one point. His eyes narrowed as he realized exactly what he was staring at: some kind of cyborg.

The deadly warrior lifted his arm, palm wide open, so that it was towering over the fallen creature, causing Krillin's eyes to widen in alarm. As a slow-forming mass of ki began to materialize in the Saiyan's hand, Krillin rushed to his side and covered his palm with his own. "Gohan! What are you doing? You were going to kill it!"

"It's an android, Krillin," Gohan intoned, as if that explained his murderous intentions.

"So is my wife!" Krillin shot back. "I spared Eighteen, and I think she's proven that she has good heart. You don't even know anything about this... whatever it is, android, or cyborg, or man, or whatever! How could you ruthlessly murder it?"

Gohan had to admit the Krillin's points were completely valid and he had oversimplified the entire situation, opting to group all robots or android into the categorization of evil. He hadn't even considered the possibility that some were held against their will and forced to commit wrongdoings or that some were simply not evil at all. Ashamed, the elder Son child cast his eyes slightly towards the ground.

"Alright... I was being a bit rash," Gohan conceded. "But what are we supposed to do with it? We can't let Gero keep it."

The bald man scratched his temple, thinking carefully. After a moment of silence, he snapped his fingers and his face lit up. "I got it! We can bring him to Bulma!"

"Bulma?" Gohan asked, mystified. "Why?"

"So she can repair him, obviously," Krillin replied.

The demi-Saiyan took a moment to consider the situation. If they brought the thing back to Bulma, the perhaps he could get some information from it, ensuring that their trip to this warehouse wasn't a waste of time, and maybe even bringing them a step closer to Videl. He sighed heavily and nodded in agreement. Krillin smiled widely and patted him on the back to request assistance in carrying the zombie-like creature. Gohan picked up the unconscious humanoid from the table, begrudgingly draping the limp form across his arms.

Now that Gohan got a better look at the "person" in his arms, he had to admit that he didn't look inherently evil. The placid smile on his face indicated quite the opposite, in fact. The presumed android's legs were chained together at the ankles, light blue ankle cuffs keeping the legs from going too far apart. The remains of a simple blue vest hung from his torso in tatters, lending to the humanoid appearance he must carry when operational, Gohan supposed. His skin was a pale chocolate brown coloration, his hair neat and jet black almost like a top hat, and a thin stitch line apparent at the crease of his forehead.

It was his chest where Gohan paid the most attention, for it was torn open, the wires ripped, shredded, and frayed. It clearly had the design of the inside of a robot, but all the pieces seemed to be present and potentially able to be recalibrated to make the robot functional once more. If anyone could make this thing operational once more, Bulma was the one for the job.

* * *

><p>As he awoke from his slumber, he heard voices speaking to one another. They spoke in a language he recognized, but he couldn't quite make out any words yet since his hearing was obstructed by something. He attempted to peel his eyelids apart with odd difficulty before realizing his efforts were fruitless.<p>

After a few moments he realized that he wasn't on solid ground; he was floating. His body was immersed in some sort of liquid, which easily explained why he couldn't hear those outside voices clearly. He tried breathing in and out only to discover his body hooked up to all sorts of mechanical contraptions and tubes.

Finally mustering up the strength to separate his eyelids, he noticed there were two humanoid figures standing outside wherever he was. He observed his surroundings; he seemed to be in a tank of some sort, but there didn't appear to be any escaping the tank or even a visible exit whatsoever.

With his senses returning in pronounced fashion, he could begin to discern what, exactly, the voices were saying.

"How much longer do you think it'll be until he wakes, Bulma?"

"Not much longer, Gohan," replied the one he now could identify as Bulma.

The two figures - one a gorgeous blue-haired female and the other a tall, built black-haired male - began standing around, glancing at the clock with anxiousness obvious in their postures. Moments later, Gohan spared a glance at the regeneration tank and noticed that the guest was awake.

"He's awake, Bulma. Let's get him out of that thing and find out what this is all about."

Bulma walked over to a small silver machine with a bunch of red buttons and pressed one. Immediately, the water level inside the chamber lowered and the breathing mask unclasped itself from his face.

He took a few heavy, laboured breaths as soon as he was free, attempting to collect his thoughts and calm down his nerves. Where was he? Who were these people? Where was Suno? The last thing he could remember was being taken...wait...it was coming back. He'd been transported to a warehouse of sorts far away from the village.

The top of the large tank he was submerged in lifted off once all the water had been drained, allowing the android to freely breathe. As he glimpsed out at the boy called Gohan, a few hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention. That boy... but it couldn't be. He hadn't seen his friend in the longest time. He thought he recognized him on TV a while back, but certain subtle discrepancies convinced him otherwise.

"What's your name?" Gohan asked him as soon as he stepped out of the tank.

"My name is Eighter; some people call me Android 8 though," Eighter replied.

"So you're an android," Bulma said with a thoughtful finger tapping away at her chin. "You don't seem like any other android we've encountered. Do you fight?"

"Well," Eighter began, "I was originally programmed to be a warrior of cataclysmic proportions, but I rebelled because I like peace." The peaceful android flexed his bulging muscles as he spoke but maintained the robotic, stoic expression etched across his features, refusing to betray any emotion."

"Who created you?" Gohan queried. "Was it a man named Dr. Gero?"

"I'm not sure who created me, but I heard that name spoken by the men who kidnapped me. Who is he?"

"He was a crazy maniacal scientist who engineered a dastardly pair of androids for the sole purpose of generating mass destruction," Bulma answered. "We were able to stop him, but the earliest androids we've been able to encounter date only to number thirteen. It's possible you're an earlier prototype. Did you say you were kidnapped?" she asked, suddenly remembering that Eighter mentioned something about kidnappers.

"Yes, I was. They came to my - Suno!" Eighter suddenly said. Worry was suddenly evident in his expression, as he made to move towards the door before Gohan stepped into his path, intercepting him.

"Where are you going and who is Suno?" the tall Saiyan asked, his eyes narrowed into slits.

Eighter took an involuntary step backward, thoroughly frightened by the sudden intimidating presence in front of him. "Suno is my friend. I miss her." He tried to sidestep the spiky-haired Saiyan, but Gohan put his lead foot forward, splitting Eighter's leg and halting his movement.

"How do you expect to get wherever Suno lives? Can you just say the magic words and get there? Abra kadabra?" Gohan mocked.

"Gohan!" Bulma admonished, visibly embarrassed by the half-Saiyan's ignorance. "Maybe Eighter can fly, did you think of that, hotshot!?"

"No, I cannot fly. How far are we from Jingle Village? That's where I lived before they took me."

"It would take about a half an hour if Gohan carried you, I think," Bulma responded, biting her lip in thought. She walked over to a nearby countertop and reached underneath it, searching for something. After a few moments, she pulled her hand back with a map in tow.

"Ah, here's the map. Let's see...we're here...and, Jingle Village is...here!" the heiress said, pointing to the specific locations on the map. It appeared to be a decent distance to cover on the map, causing Bulma to look expectantly up at Gohan. "Will you take him?"

"No, I don't see why I should. He's a tin can."

"If you help me find Suno, I'll tell you what I remember from being kidnapped. Every last detail," Eighter proposed, causing both Gohan and Bulma to immediately look at one another.

"Just take the damn tin can already, Gohan!" a short man with flame-like hair suddenly exclaimed, entering the room finally. He turned, rounding on another short man. "And you, Baldy," he spat, "go with him."

"M-me?" the shorter man stammered.

The flame-haired man gave him an incredulous look. "Your wife is more metal than human. That makes you the closest thing to an expert we have on these guys."

"What about Bulma?" 'Baldy' protested. "She rebuilt him!"

Eighter inclined his head politely in the blue-haired woman's direction as if to say thank you.

The man put his arm around Bulma protectively. "My wife will stay here, thank you. You can go fight off the assassins as you bring the toaster to go see his girlfriend."

"Girlfriend? Is that a friend who is a girl?"

The flame-haired man's obnoxious laughter could be heard all the way down the hallway as Gohan grabbed Eighter's arm and the trio set out for the front door.

* * *

><p>A light flared in the darkness as Carth lit up another cigarette. His prisoner wrinkled her nose at the smell, but said nothing. It wasn't as though she could have said anything through the cloth shoved in her mouth anyway.<p>

"You know, doll face," the RabitGrass agent started, lounging against the cold walls, "your little boy toy is barking up the wrong tree." He chuckled coldly. "Does he really think that I would be dumb enough to hide in a warehouse?"

She struggled against the ropes holding her in place. Carth laughed again; the girl's apparent anger was amusing for him. With a devilish grin, he decided to push her buttons. "You could have picked a better man, if you ask me. What does he having going for him? Certainly not brains... or grace, for that matter. He tripped every single sensor I put in that building. Every last one."

The prisoner growled something through her gag that sounded rather like an insult.

"I really do hope he catches on," the blonde man continued, his actions rewarded. "This place... well... let's just say I haven't been this bored since the callous son of a bitch I work for had me serving as his personal bodyguard. That man is so damn secretive that I didn't see another person for months, and Coco isn't a much of a talkative guy. I blame it on his paranoia."

He pushed himself off the wall and strolled toward his prisoner, taking a long drag on his cigarette. Then, he dropped into a squat, eye to eye with her. Carth exhaled slowly, letting the smoke brush over her face. The girl coughed, trying to escape the smell.

"At least I have you to keep me entertained," the RabitGrass commander laughed. "I have to say, watching you struggle is pretty fucking funny. I mean... where do you think you're going to go? I bet a pretty little thing like you wouldn't last a day outside of this place, out there in the wild. You'd freeze to death, provided the wildlife didn't get you first, or the lack of shiny first world amenities. And, of course, you'd have to get past me."

He reached for his belt, slowly drawing out a knife, unmistakable even in the soft glow of the smouldering tobacco. Carth grinned cruelly as the prisoner's cerulean eyes widened with fear and recognition.

"You won't get past me, honey."

Videl gulped.

**Presented by DarkVoid116, Kanotari, and RaiynetheHedgehog**

**To a-man: Except how could Krillin know Carth was an adversary and not another friend? That's playing off a hunch; what he knew 100% was that Gohan was off the handle and he needed to go there to find out why.**


	19. Android

Chapter 19: Android

As he held Eighter in his arms en route to Jingle Village, Gohan reflected on the past few hours. The passive android seemed to recognize him from somewhere, but Gohan was absolutely sure that they had never met.

He glanced down at the android, seeing the back of the tall, zombie-like man's neck before him. The teenage Super Saiyan sighed in exasperation, realizing he might have been slightly unfair to the peaceful android.

"Where did you meet Suno, Eighter?" Gohan asked. It was a half-hearted attempt at conversation, but it brought the desired smile to Eighter's face, warming Gohan's heart.

"Well, an old friend rescued me from a local tower. The Red Ribbon Army was stationed there at the time, and my friend was very strong and fought his way through the tower, rescuing me from my enslavement along the way."

Gohan snorted in derision; he was sure that he and the android had very different definitions of strength. In his mind, the picture of an incredibly strong warrior was a giant, misshapen green biomechanical android or a fierce, intimidating Super Saiyan equipped with a sparkling, lightning-clad aura. He didn't know who this fighter was who had saved Eighter, but the possibility he could stand up to any villain Gohan had conquered seemed unlikely.

As they torpedoed across the blue, lush skies, the lost Prince of the Ox Kingdom observed the way Krillin carried himself as he flew. Every time he was with the shorter warrior, memories of his deceased father flooded his brain, forcing him to relive those days he'd rather forget.

Memories of the first time he met Krillin and Bulma at the Kame House before Raditz crashed the party resurfaced. Mental pictures of his father arriving in the nick of time to miraculously save the day before Vegeta and Nappa could kill everyone, and when he and his father fought valiantly against Frieza on Namek returned full force, as if no time had elapsed.

Moments later, the trio was flying high above a mountainous, snow-covered town. There weren't very many buildings in the small village, so Eighter just pointed at the appropriate location for them to land near and Gohan did as instructed. As the two ki-users touched down on the solid white ground, Goku's eldest son placed the peaceful mechanical humanoid being down. Eighter immediately ran as fast as he could towards the closest house to him. He knocked repeatedly as soon as he got there before taking a step backwards and awaiting an answer.

As soon as the door opened, Gohan's jaw dropped slightly. The woman who opened it had long, flowing ruby red hair and was what he considered extremely attractive. He observed as the woman's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, then stood by emotionlessly as she jumped into Eighter's arms and gave him a huge hug.

"Eighter! Where were you? Are you okay?" she questioned hurriedly. The inherent fear she'd had over his safety was apparent to Gohan, making him question Eighter's motives less and less. The android truly seemed to be a genuinely good person and only wanted to help; it could be their huge break it seemed.

"I am fine Suno. Thank you for your concern. These two men helped rescue me and their friend repaired my infrastructure," Eighter replied.

Gohan watched as the red-haired woman shifted her inquisitive gaze from her friend to him and arched an eyebrow when she did a double take. His curiosity was stirred more when she lifted her left hand and poorly attempted to mask the gasp which escaped her lips.

"Y-you," she stammered incoherently. "What's your father's name?" Suno had regained control of her voice towards the end of her inquiry, speaking with apparent confidence.

"Uh, Goku," the teen responded back hesitantly. The moment the words left his mouth, both Eighter and Suno's eyes went even wider and they couldn't prevent the stunned gasps which left their mouths.

"I knew you looked familiar!" Eighter exclaimed passionately. "How is your father? He is the man who saved me from Muscle Tower all those years ago and defeated General White."

The mention of his father's heroics immediately caused Gohan's mood to take a tailspin for the worse. His father had been a great man, performing untold numbers of great deeds, and he missed him dearly. These two people were apparently indebted to him and yet they couldn't even thank him. The worst part was there was nothing he could do to avenge those who killed his father since he'd had essentially all the closure he would get in that case. The best alternative was making sure he held those responsible for slaughtering his mother accountable.

The sudden and drastic change in Gohan's emotions was apparently visible to the other people around him. Krillin took action first, coming to Gohan's side and patting him on the back. The two Jingle Village residents apparently took the hint and stepped inside the doorway, gesturing for the two warriors to follow when they were ready.

"You okay, kid?" the bald monk probed. "I know you miss Goku. We all do, but he made his own choice. He couldn't have known at the time all of the events which would follow, otherwise he might have decided differently."

"I know Krillin. It's just, I don't know...I guess I haven't thought much about Dad recently since I've been trying to track down these RabitGrass bastards and hopefully find a living, breathing Videl with them. Meeting somebody that he rescued and became friends with just made me a little sad, you know?"

"I understand Gohan. I miss your father a lot too; he was my best friend after all. Why don't we head inside and hear about how Goku knew these people?"

"Sure Krillin, I guess so," Gohan added before turning towards the door and walking into the small abode, Krillin in tow.

The first thing Gohan noticed as he walked into the small house was that it looked cozy. There were a few couches that appeared comfortable spread out across the room, one against each of the two adjacent corner walls.

Walking further into the house, Gohan noticed Suno and Eighter sitting at the maple coffee table sipping tea from mugs. He made eye contact with the pair before pulling out one of the two chairs situated at the table for he and Krillin.

"So can one of you give me a brief summary of how my dad saved you?" the eldest son of Goku asked.

"Sure," Suno started. "Officers from the Red Ribbon Army under the command of General White stormed our town and captured the village chief. I was wandering in the snow and stumbled across a small boy in a crashed airplane; the boy ended up being Goku. My parents and I nursed him back to health after which point he discovered the village chief was being held captive and rescued both him and Eighter here."

"I remember something like this when Goku was looking for the Four Star Dragon Ball," Krillin interjected. "He basically tore the entire Red Ribbon Army down and ended up storming the main base. I watched him defeat General Blue in hand to hand combat at one point, actually. At the time I thought it was the most amazing thing ever."

"Eighter," Gohan started, drawing everyone's attention, "you said you would tell me what you knew once we got you to Jingle Village. We're here...talk to me."

"Oh, yes. Well, this man named Carth took me from my bed in the middle of the night a few months ago. I ended up learning a lot about their operations. For Goku's kid I'd be thrilled to help you!"

"Thanks Eighter," Gohan stated. "So, what did you find out while you were abducted?"

"Well, they took me to several locations, all of which I heard them refer to by name, so hopefully that can help assist your search for them. What do you know about the name Carth Ehrhardt?" Eighter inquired.

"Well, he either kidnapped or killed Videl," Krillin supplied.

"Additionally, I couldn't detect the faintest trace of ki being emitted from his body," Gohan added.

The powerful Super Saiyan began contemplating all of the information he was privy to, confirming in his mind the theory he'd formed while talking to Piccolo.

"There is a valid explanation for all of that, although I think you already know that Gohan," Eighter said, addressing his first friend's son. "Carth is an android built from the specific details left by Dr. Gero and some of his followers. That is why you couldn't track his energy signature; he doesn't have one."

As Eighter confirmed what Gohan was already thinking, the teenage superhero twiddled his thumbs together, pursing his lips in thought. "Do you know why they kidnapped you, Eighter? What purpose did they have for you if they already had the technology to build cyborgs and androids with incredible strength?"

"I believe they picked apart my infrastructure in search of technological improvements and such. The only format that Dr. Gero had available also utilized the inclusion of a bomb inside the mainframe of the android, which Carth needed to do away with. They took my wiring apart and searched for a way to remove their bombs, but I don't know if they were successful. They did, however, disarm the bomb by reverse engineering the technology inside themselves using my body as an example."

"If everything you've just told me is true, could we make something to deactivate Carth and his goons from a remote location?" Gohan queried. If it were possible, then he could either flat out deactivate all of the android near Videl and hope she escaped if she is alive or could try to have Bulma use the remote control to pinpoint their location.

"I can try to have the man who created me, Dr. Flappe, create something using my parts that could deactivate Carth and any other members of his criminal syndicate that are cyborgs. Would that work?"

"That would be awesome," Krillin cheerfully replied, a glimmer of hope finally shining through all of the negativity and unfortunate events which had flooded their tight-knit group recently.

"Do you still know where that old doctor is, Eighter?" Suno inquired. The gorgeous redhead stood up, walked over to the window, and peered up into the mountainside, apparently surveying the snow-covered area.

"Yes, I remember. We should go now; it could take a while for the doctor to construct this device."

The Satan girl had planned on spitting in Carth's smug face the very moment he removed her gag, but her mouth was too dry. She settled instead for a long and very unladylike set of words insulting both him and his mother. Videl had been so intent on tormenting her captor that she hadn't noticed that they had company. She prepared herself to unleash another slew of vulgar language at the newcomer, when she realized who it was.

"Doctor Brief!" she sighed in relief. "It's so good to finally meet you. Bulma told me so much about you."

Carth, for some reason, found her comment hilarious. The doctor, already solemn, suddenly looked as though he might cry.

"So what was the deal?" she asked excitedly as Carth, who was still sniggering, began to untie her. "How did you arrange my freedom?"

Dr. Brief had a curious expression; his jaw was set, and he looked pained. It made no sense to Videl. Why would he look so upset when he had come to take her back to Gohan? Did they have to turn someone over to RabitGrass in exchange for her? Had something happened to one of their friends? Oh Kami... was someone dead?! The smile vanished from her face.

The RabitGrass operative was unable to contain himself. "You are so far off base, it's not even funny," he wheezed in between fits of laughter. "Well, it's not funny for you, but me... my ribs are starting to ache."

"Dr. Brief?" Videl asked softly. She had to know if it was true. It was Carth! He lied! He was lying, right?

The doctor shook his head slowly, and turned away from the captive teenager. It really was true then. Dr. Brief was helping RabitGrass; he was helping Coco. He was helping the man who had murdered Gohan's mother, the man who had tried to kill Goten, who had kidnapped her! She felt her panic melting away, being replace by anger and determination. Dr. Brief wasn't getting away with this, nor Carth, nor Coco.

As soon as the ropes around her ankles slackened, she took off, running at full speed... or at least that was the plan. What Videl didn't realize was that the countless hours of poor circulation had rubberized her legs. Instead to sprinting out of the cave and rescuing herself, Videl managed to collapse right in front of the stalagmite she'd been tied to. She continued to crawl toward the cave's mouth, but it was no use. She dragged herself along the cold, damp floor, the serrated rocks digging into the flesh of her hands and legs.

Her bid for freedom stopped abruptly with a swift kick to the stomach. Videl doubled over on the floor, clutching her ribs. Even without an x-ray, she could tell that Carth's attack had broken a rib, maybe two.

"Sorry, Doc," Carth apologized. "I'm giving you more work to do. On the plus side, though, you won't have to make any room in her chest cavity."

"Room for- for what?" Videl demanded though the pain.

Carth grinned widely and unzipped his leather jacket. He then dug his fingers into his sides, violently, and ripped the flesh away. There was no blood, no screaming. Something was very wrong, Videl realized, but it all made sense seconds later when the operative's stomach swung open, like two fleshy doors, to reveal his insides.

He had what anyone would expect of course: two lungs, a liver, kidneys... even a heart, to Videl's surprise. But jammed in between his vital organ were several whirring, mechanical components.

The RabitGrass man laughed coldly at Videl's revulsion. "Let just say that you and I are going to have a lot in common, missie."

* * *

><p>"His house is right over here," Eighter informed Gohan and Krillin, eagerly leading them toward the mountainside home of Dr. Flappe.<p>

"Are you sure about this?" Gohan whispered to Krillin as they trailed behind the excitable android. "Didn't this guy work with Gero?"

"He was forced to work for the Red Ribbon Army. He didn't want to."

"But he did, Krillin!" the demi-Saiyan protested, voice rife with intensity despite its low decibel.

"Who's to say that he didn't continue to work with Gero after my father destroyed the Army? Hm?"

"Your dad freed Jingle Village's chief. Problem solved."

"We haven't even met him," the teen reminded his friend.

"He's going to help us!" Krillin insisted.

"Yes, but- " Gohan tried to protest, his volume rising.

"But nothing, Gohan!" the bald man interrupted, perhaps louder than necessary. "Stop being so paranoid. Dr. Flappe helped us. He took a bomb out of Eighter's chest, for goodness sakes! We can trust him."

"He's a good guy," Eighter chimed in, as though that settled things. It did, in a way; Gohan and Krillin stopped arguing about it until they had climbed the winding drive up to the eccentric doctor's home. The android knocked on the door and waited patiently.

The door was opened by rather short man whose appearance was eccentric, to say the least. His grey hair looked as though he had stuck a fork in an electrical outlet, springing into an afro that rivaled Bulma's most ridiculous hairstyles. His bright yellow jacket would have looked more at home on a sports announcer than on an esteemed doctor. The round glasses, sliding of the brim of his nose, magnified his eyes, giving him the appearance of a wide-eyed tree frog. But perhaps the most noticeable thing about his ensemble was the glowing stick he held in his left hand. It looked like some form of cattle prod; the metal bar pulsated with electricity. Krillin gulped at the sight of it, regretting his staunch recommendation of the mad scientist, or so Gohan presumed.

"You'll have to try harder than that to take me... this..." Dr. Flappe's voice trailed away as he realized that it was Eighter at his door, and not someone who meant him harm. Though the large android looked intimidating, the only thing he would likely crush to death would be a teddy bear in a ferocious hug. "Eighter, my lad! Good to see you, but who are your friends?" The tottering scientist pushed his oversized glasses up to the bridge of his nose, and leaned toward the trio on his doorstep, examining them with squinting eyes. "Well tea and biscuits! Goku! You've cut your hair. How have you been, boy?"

"It's not Goku!" Eighter exclaimed excitedly. "It's Gohan!"

"I'm his son," the demi-Saiyan explained.

"I never figured that boy would understand how to... never mind," the good doctor said, sidetracked.

"I have to confess, Doctor," Gohan started, cutting right to the chase. "We didn't come out here for a social call."

"Thank goodness!" the doddering man sighed with relief. "I only have enough marmalade for one person."

"Marma - never mind," Gohan said, shaking his head. "Dr. Flappe, you built Eighter, correct?"

The grey-haired man nodded in affirmation. "To be fair, Dr. Gero did most of the work."

"That's why we need you," chimed in Krillin. "Eighter wasn't Dr. Gero's last creation."

"Oh I know," Dr. Flappe said conversationally. "The man was mad as a March hare. It was always 'master race' this and 'inferior humans' that."

Gohan resisted the urge to comment on the irony that the man worried about marmalade was commenting on another man's sanity. Instead, he took a deep breath and continued. "He made an android, Carth Ehrhardt, and we need to stop him."

"Carth?!" the smile vanished from the aged doctor's face. "That one's a bad egg. Stay away from him."

"That's just the problem, Doctor. I can't do that," Gohan said solemnly.

"Are you daft, boy? That android would kill your momma for a cheeseburger."

Gohan's face fell. It was the last thing he needed to be reminded of at the moment. He closed his eyes and concentrated on Videl's face, hoping with all his heart that she was still alive.

Refocused, he made his request. "Dr. Gero's creations are working with a man named Coco. He orchestrated my mother's murder, attempted to kill both me and my brother, and now has captured or killed someone who I promised to protect. We need your help to take out Carth, Dr. Flappe."

The doctor stood as straight as his elderly body would allow and snapped his hand to his temple in a smart military salute. "Goku, if you want to take out that evil son of a biscuit, then I am with you to the end."

Gohan paused for a moment to wonder exactly how biscuits reproduced, and deliberated correcting the Doctor's mistake about his identity, but smiled graciously and saluted back. Dr. Flappe would be a huge asset to their cause. For the first time in a long time, he began to feel as though they might actually be able to beat Coco.

"Right this way, young monkey man," the capricious inventor said, beckoning down the hallway. Gohan followed him into a cramped, messy room. There wasn't a bare inch on the walls; every last scrap of the paint had been covered by countless sketches and equations, some elaborate and others, mere doodles on napkins. One such napkin caught the teenager's eye.

"Dr. Flappe?" he called.

The doctor poked his head out of a pile of papers like a meerkat who just heard a predator. "My apologies, dear Goku. I completely forgot about your tea!"

Gohan chose not to mention that Dr. Flappe had once again confused him for his own, dead father, or the fact that he wasn't interested in tea. The distractible doctor didn't need any more reasons to get sidetracked. "Did you build Android Seventeen?" he asked, turning the napkin to the elderly man.

"Seventeen? Seventeen?!" the doctor gasped. "That one's a bad egg! Stay away from him."

"Doctor!" Gohan said, placing a hand on the doddering fool's shoulder. He was starting to get annoyed by the man's constant insanity. "Did you build Android Seventeen?"

"That one was Gero's work, mostly, my dear boy. But I'm sorry to say that I helped."

Gohan beckoned for Krillin and pointed at the napkin. "Look at this," he murmured. "Do you remember when Piccolo told us about the energy shield that Android Seventeen used?"

Krillin shuddered theatrically. "How could I forget?"

"Forget what?" Dr. Flappe chimed in. Gohan showed him the sketch as well, but the Doctor's reaction was not what the demi-Saiyan expected at all. The quirky inventor grabbed the napkin, brought it up to his face, eyed it cautiously, and then promptly used it as a tissue.

Gohan flinched. Damn the old man! That was a valuable schematic of Android Seventeen's energy shield, now smudged and ruined. He briefly considered the implications of the wealth of knowledge in the this lab. If Flappe had this information on Androids that Gero had constructed, then clearly Gero must have been aware of this technology as well, and if Gero's technology was in Coco's hands...

The raven-haired teen ripped the snot covered napkin from the Doctor's hands and opened the crumpled napkin. His eyes hadn't been playing tricks on him; that equation was exactly what he thought it was. It was the summation of the ki that Android Seventeen would produce for various functions, and the output that the shield would have to produce to mask his ki. From the sketch, which resembled the black-haired android inside a giant bubble, Gohan was able to put two and two together.

"She's alive!" he gasped, dropping the soiled napkin in shock. "She's really alive." He had been hoping and praying that Videl was still alive, that he hadn't let someone else he cared about die, but he hadn't dared to believe that it was true. This shield explained everything. Why would Carth carry off Videl's dead body? He wouldn't; there was no reason to. He would, however, take her prisoner and mask her ki with the energy shield so that his ki-sensing enemies would never be able to track her. It was nothing short of brilliant.

"Dr. Flappe?" the teen asked as a brilliant idea rushed into his brain. "This energy shield... can we use it to shut down Carth? Overload it or something?"

"I can turn him into a walking time bomb, minus the bomb, with the right materials," the quirky man insisted, wedging a pencil into his poofy hair. "Be a sport, boy, and grab me that remote."  
>Gohan, searched around the desk for a moment, his eyes finally settling on a black box the size of a fist. He handed it to the Doctor with a curious look on his face.<p>

"And that green radar?" Dr. Flappe requested. Gohan did as he was asked. The doctor pushed them together like a preschooler trying to shove a square peg in a round hole. His face contorted as he concentrated. "If we combine this radio controller with this voltage detector, then we could -"

"Find the electricity that Carth uses to function," Gohan finished. "Brilliant!" He could begin to see how the kooky old man had helped to create Eighter. There were flashes of brilliance hidden somewhere in that preposterous hair style.

"But what if he's hiding in the city?" Krillin asked. "Finding a lot of electricity there is like trying to find hay in a haystack. Everything uses a lot of power!"

Gohan waved the napkin. "We're not just looking for a lot of electricity. We're looking for a very specific amount." The demi-Saiyan smiled widely. "Well Dr. Flappe, I hope you have all the tea and marmalade you're going to want for a while, because we're going to be working all night. I have a friend to save."

* * *

><p>"Keep your mechanical parts to yourself," Videl spat at Carth, who was busy lugging the doctor's supplies inside. From the bag of surgical tools, to the generator, to the mask that Dr. Brief was putting on, the teenage crimefighter deduced that she was enjoying the last few minutes of her humanity. Her heart began to beat rapidly. Would she even have a heart after Bulma's father was done with her?<p>

The diesel generator roared to life, and the dank cave shone bright with artificial light. A white cloth was laid across the damp stone floor, out of hygienic reasons rather than comfort, Videl was sure. Trays of tools, all sharp and rather terrifying, lay beside the impromptu operating table.  
>The girl was suddenly very conscious of her lungs, and how fast they seemed to be contracting as she began to hyperventilate. She'd never been so conscious of her internal organs before, never realized how much they meant to her.<p>

Heck, in just a few minutes, she might not even need them anymore. Dr. Brief, at least as far as Bulma had explained, was an inventor. He was a doctor alright, but a doctor of science, of engineering. He was the kind of doctor that you didn't want installing cybernetic components in your body. Though considering the kind of... upgrades... she was about to receive, perhaps his education would come in handy.

"Come on, doll face," Carth called, as he scooped the captive teenager off the floor and carried her to the awaiting cloth. "It's time for a makeover."

"I like myself just the way I am," she growled, struggling against his ice cold grip, but his superhuman strength was too much for her. "I don't want to be anything like you!"

"Don't worry. You're only getting a few upgrades. I'll still be able to put you in your place," the android promised as he set her on the awaiting cloth, putting his knee on her stomach to keep her from making another bid for freedom. Turning his attention to the bespectacled doctor, Carth called out, "You ready, doc?"

Dr. Brief sighed heavily. "If I do this, you promise that you'll return my wife, that she'll be completely unharmed?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die," the RabitGrass agent said. "Coco has agreed to your terms. Honor your end of the bargain and your sweetie will be safe from our little friend here."

"I'd never hurt Mrs. Briefs! Or anyone!" Videl insisted. "Gohan would never let them be hurt, and nor would Vegeta or Piccolo or any of them!"

"They protect my nephew from that sniper," Dr. Brief reminded her coolly, "and they protect you from him." The doctor jerked his head toward the android, who waved facetiously. "No. I refuse to take chances."

Carth laughed. "Good. Because you won't be able to. I hope you enjoyed your free will while it lasted."

"I don't care what you put in me! I won't hurt my friends, and there's nothing you can do to make me!"

"I'll take that challenge," Carth laughed. He reached for a clear bottle and held it under the trapped girl's nose. The last thing Videl heard before everything went black was the roar of the bone saw as it sprung to life.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Sierra You really shouldn't have said anything. Thanks for the idea!**  
><strong>Brought to you by RaiynetheHedgehog, DarkVoid116, and Kanotari<strong>


	20. Hijacked

Chapter 20: Hijacked

...

Videl's eyes fluttered open, but she saw nothing, felt nothing. Slowly, feeling began to return to her extremities, then her whole body, and she noticed one recurring theme: every inch was aching. The captive gingerly attempted to wiggle her fingers, not sure if they would respond to her command. They did, however, much to her great relief. Her hand stretched out instinctively and felt a ragged sheet, with hard stone below. So she was alive then. It was something encouraging at least. The teenager moved to sit up, but discovered an unforeseen amount of resistance preventing her from rising. She could feel her abdominal muscles straining to lift her torso from the improvised operating table. "What the..." she murmured in confusion.

Then she heard it, a soft metallic clink coming from inside her. As the horrible reality set in, she reached for her chest and mimicked Carth's earlier actions, digging her fingers into her sides. Sure enough, there was something hard and unrelenting hidden beneath her skin. Searching around, she found the new sutures and ripped them open one by one then peeled back the flesh. Her fingertips brushed cold metal. Her heart tried to race-but it felt all wrong, like it had been shifted to make room for something else.

"Good morning, sunshine," came a voice that she had grown all too familiar with in the past few days.

"Carth, you bastard!" Videl hissed through clenched teeth as she struggled to make it to her feet. "What did you do to me?"

"Slow learner, aren't you?" he remarked wryly. "You. Robot parts. Inside." He mimed at her as though the concept was far too difficult for her to understand. "You. Kill Son brat."

"I'm not a cold-blooded killer, unlike you. Or have you forgotten that fact?" the Satan girl scoffed, retaining whatever sense of her pride remained intact.

"That's what this is for," he laughed, showing her a little black box. Videl quickly realized what it was: a walkie talkie. Carth turned a knob and walked toward the entrance to the cave. Lifting the radio to his mouth, he said, "Fire it up, boys."

"Yes boss," came the response through the crackling static. With a smirk, he turned the little knob once more, the hissing feedback changing pitches as the radio changed through channels. "I'm sorry Dave," Carth said into the device. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

Videl covered her mouth and gasped. Those words... Carth's words... had just come out of her own mouth! Narrowing her eyes at Carth, she growled, sounding unnaturally animalistic.

Holding the obsidian device away from his mouth, Carth addressed her. "So you see, sweetheart, you're no longer... how should I say this... able to voice your own opinions, unless I say so, of course." Carth gave a hearty laugh at the bewildered expression on the Satan girl's face, his own features forming a smirk as recognition flashed in her eyes.

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She firmly closed her jaw again, shooting him a fierce look of disdain.

The malicious android smirked. "You know what, doll face? I'm curious." He switched his radio off and set it politely on his lap. "You were saying?"

"You can control my voice, sure, but I'm too strong for you to control my actions!" Videl shot back heatedly, her hands clenching into tight fists.

"You wanna bet?" Carth taunted. There was a glint of excitement in his deep blue eyes that scared Videl and made her ninety percent sure she didn't want to take any bets. "I can literally control the words that come out of your pretty little mouth; do you _really _think I'd let you run amok?" Carth asked rhetorically, confirming Videl's fears.

"W-what do you want with me?" the teenage crimefighter queried. Her voice was laced with fear as the helpless prospect manifested itself in her brain. Her fists unclenched, her delicate fingers trembling slightly as she spoke.

"Oh, nothing too outrageous," Carth offered offhandedly. "I just need you to do a few little things for me, kill some innocent people, make your presence known. You know, the usual." The sinister android adopted a maniacal grin as he watched all sorts of emotions cycle through Videl's baby blue orbs; first fright, followed by astonishment, outrage, and finally realization.

"Y-you monster!" she screamed. The raven-haired girl clenched her fists, struggling to move her limbs, her legs, her anything. These doctors, these monsters had tinkered with her body and changed her entire self. "Why?" she demanded, abandoning all pretense that everything was fine. She was most certainly shaken; there was a decent chance that she, a defender of innocent lives in her hometown, would be manipulated and forced into killing dozens, if not _hundreds_, of people.

"It's simple, doll face; you have the capability to... shall we say, make yourself known," Carth snickered. "You're already an attractive public figure who is known as a defender of justice." He crouched on his knees and cupped her chin, staring right into her light blue eyes. "How better to cripple the response capabilities of this world than to strike right at the heart? Not only will the world be devastated by your 'betrayal,' but the Saiyan scum will be flabbergasted as well," Carth spat.

"What's a Saiyan?" Videl asked aloud to her captor. She sort of remembered the word being spoken amongst Gohan and his gang of friends. Judging from the context Carth used it in, she assumed her initial guess was correct and that it concerned Gohan.

The android's face lit up like a kid in a candy store. "Oh, he hasn't told you! You'd think he'd want to brag... show off for you," Carth mused, toying with his silver chain. "I'll be nice and let you in on the secret." He leaned in close, his hot breath brushing the girl's neck. "It's the name of the abomination you're programmed to search and destroy."

"What hasn't he told me?" Videl demanded, her eyes ablaze with renewed fury. The situation seemed hopeless so she figured that retaining every ounce of her dignity that she could would work, especially if she wouldn't have control of her actions for much longer.

"As much as I'd love to rock your world, I have my orders. And explaining what I know about the kid's past would take too long," Carth replied in a dismissive tone. "Plus, we need to discuss what your first mission shall be."

Dread began to overtake all of Videl's other emotions as the diabolical man began outlining his evil plans for her.

...

Krillin yawned widely, slowly becoming aware of his surroundings as he awoke. His eyes, barely open, stared unfocused at the sketchpad that, at some point in the middle of the night, had become his pillow. He had managed to jot down a few numbers, though what they meant, he couldn't remember. The bald man blinked slowly as he sat up. It was awfully bright he realized, watching the dust motes swirl in the light that shone inside through the windows. What time was it? He glanced over at the clock, which flashed 7:23 AM. No wonder he was so tired; he'd only been out for three hours.

The short man stretched his arms over his head and stood, wondering where his companions were. Eventually, the soft clink of dishes reached his ear, so he decided to check the kitchen first. Sure enough, Gohan was there, a mound of empty dishes before him. Eighter was up to his elbows in soap bubbles as he started on the collection of dirty plates which filled the sink. Dr. Flappe, situated next to Gohan, peered at the newcomer through his oversized spectacles. He tugged on the demi-Saiyan's sleeve and pointed at Krillin.

"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle!" the doctor exclaimed. "Look, Goku! The man on my bottle of dish soap has come to life!"

The monk rubbed his head, assuming it was a bald joke, as Gohan greeted him. "You missed the pancakes."

Krillin stifled a whimper. From their bloodshot eyeballs to the baggy skin beneath them, he could tell they'd stayed awake from dusk 'til dawn, slaving over the device.

"My fault," the short man confessed. "I was sleepy. Did you finish it?"

Gohan smiled widely and nodded. "We were going to test it out after breakfast. We still have to calibrate it to Carth's energy output, but Dr. Flappe wanted to make sure it worked first."

From the look on his face, Krillin could tell that he young man didn't want to test it out; he wanted to use it as soon as possible. "Well then we better get started," the monk said, smiling when Gohan lit up at the proposition.

Back in the good doctor's lab, Krillin saw that the device had truly taken shape as he slept. A radio antenna protruded from a green radar screen, and all of that was hastily tacked onto a voltage detector, it's twin metallic prongs sticking up in the air. It wasn't pretty, but hopefully it was functional.

The glowing screen of the voltage detector lit up as soon as Dr. Flappe turned the patchwork machine on, reading, "240 volts." The radar screen was on as well, showing an orange blip almost right on top of their location. That meant...

"Aw man," the short man groaned, dropping into a combat stance and flaring his ki. He looked around wildly, searching for the diabolical android.

Dr. Flappe turned to Krillin, chuckling softly. "Son, it's detecting the toaster in the next room."

"So it works then?" Gohan chimed in tentatively.

"As sure as bees love honey," the doctor assured him. "Now then, Mr. Son, I believe you have some math to do. As soon as you calculate what we need to set the voltage detector to, we can try to find your metal man."

Gohan rifled around on the cluttered desks for a moment, then handed Eighter a paper. "I did it last night while you two were trying to integrate the radar."

"Well butter me up and call me a biscuit!" Flappe exclaimed, much to the amusement of his co-conspirators. "Goku... using that big brain of yours," the capricious doctor muttered as he ruffled the demi-Saiyan's hair. His eyes practically sparkled with excitement as he said, "Let's fire her up!"

"All right!" Gohan said, switching on the machine. Several lights came alive as the device began scanning the surrounding area for voltage readings. Gohan switched the frequency of the contraption to match exactly what he had calculated Carth's voltage signature to be: 10306 volts.

The machine buzzed to life and began scanning, searching for the android's specific electrical output. After a few seconds, the screen showed a sole orange sphere in the upper left hand corner. Gohan nonchalantly tossed his chair aside in the process of making a beeline for the front door.

"Wait, Gohan!" Krillin cried out to the retreating demi-Saiyan. The bald monk had initially reached for Gohan's right forearm when the boy had jetted for the good doctor's door but missed by just a few inches.

"What, Krillin?" Gohan hissed, clearly annoyed his path had been interrupted. His eyes narrowed into slits as Krillin gulped nervously. "If we find Carth, we find Videl. We know where Carth is, so we know where Videl is. Why is it that you're stopping me from going to her, exactly?"

"Gohan," Eighter interjected calmly, "while you may think the machine has perfect accuracy, it will probably need more readings to be completely conclusive. It will take time to weed out clashing electrical readings from lightning, static electricity, power lines, and things like that. This might be a false reading."

"Plus," Krillin added now that Gohan had relaxed a bit, "we don't even have an exact location, just an approximate."

"I programmed it myself. I think I made it good enough," Gohan stated matter-of-factly, his eyes betraying his fury.

"This morning, it said the toaster was three blocks away," Eighter corrected. "It can only deliver an approximate location unless we collect more data."

"That's close enough. I have to go. I need to at least try," the demi-Saiyan insisted.

Krillin shook his head, as he often did when his friend insisted on behaving like Vegeta. "Gohan," he said patiently, "even if the location we found _is _where Carth is keeping Videl, don't you think he has reinforcements? They've outmaneuvered us, repeatedly at that! Let's think through this, okay?"

Gohan finally allowed his muscles to relax, letting his shoulders drop as he released the tension in his body. He took a few deep breaths before speaking, a forced calm evident in his voice. "What do you propose, Krillin? If it's not an adequate alternative, I think we both know I'll still charge headfirst towards that signal."

"Well, I say we recruit Piccolo and Vegeta to charge Carth's hideout together," Krillin proposed with a finger tapping his chin. "If Coco is also there, we wouldn't want to alert him to our presence, would we? We can lock onto Carth now through this device, but we can't find Coco."

"Goku, my boy!" the eccentric doctor called, "You do know that our... doohickey... likes neighbors, right?"

The impatient teen glared at Flappe; he did not have time for the man's insane ramblings right now.

Fortunately, Eighter came to the rescue. "I think what Dr. Flappe means is that the device is more accurate when it senses things nearby, and it's not portable..."

"Yet," Gohan finished. "It's not portable _yet_. But you can fix that." It was more of a statement than a question, an order instead of a request. Still, Eighter nodded and so did Flappe, though the old man's reaction could have been attributed to a number of things. The teen sighed, and collapsed into the nearest chair, throwing his hands up in the air. "You all have valid points," he conceded at last. "Not one of your points would be enough to stop me alone, but together... I don't know."

He turned to Flappe. "Do you have the parts you need to make this thing portable?" Even as the words escaped his lips, Gohan realized the folly of his question. The Doc's magpie-like tendency for hoarding shiny objects was impossible to miss. "Nevermind. How long will it take?"

Flappe pursed his lips and stroked the few scraggly hairs above his upper lip. "I'd say-"

"Can you and Eighter do it today?" Gohan interrupted.

"Can a woodchuck chuck wood?" the Doctor replied, which Gohan could only assume meant 'yes.'

Gohan nodded, abandoning his chair. "Let's go, Krillin," he called, beckoning to his comrade.

"Go where?" he asked as he scurried to grab his jacket before Gohan made it to the door.

"We're going to go visit some friends."

...

The feeling of flying, the rush of the wind blowing her pigtails side to side, was still incredible. As a human with limited ki experience, suddenly having the ability to glide gracefully at breakneck speeds, to soar through the skies like an old veteran of the trade was utterly amazing. When she'd flown to Capsule Corporation with Vegeta, flying had been a strenuous effort; with her newly-enhanced abilities it was child's play, and it felt magnificent.

Although she no longer had complete control of her bodily functions, she felt freer than ever before, able to do anything, conquer any challenge, solve any problem. The young Videl Satan completed a twist of her lithe body mid-air, reveling in the feeling of power it gave her.

Carth was loosely able to control her and would know if she veered off course, but the sinister android was at least kind enough to let her enjoy her flying experience. He'd outlined his evil plans for her before she left, making it abundantly clear that she had no choice in the matter and would undoubtedly carry out his intentions.

"I can't believe this is happening to me," Videl thought aloud as she roamed the clouds above. Everything that had happened in the past few days was catching up to her, and she felt mentally and physically exhausted. In just a few days, she had grown close to Gohan, discovered that he was a prince, learned about ki, been hunted by a sniper, watched a child be shot, survived a raid on a dangerous research facility, been kidnapped by a homicidal android, and then underwent major surgery. Just recapping it all made her long for her soft, warm bed. Yet here she was, a glorified puppet for a murderous metal man.

Looking ahead, she could see Satan City emerging on the horizon, its tall skyscrapers and office buildings jutting up into the sky. She adjusted the shirt Carth had given her before she felt her mind being taken over. This was part of the situation; Carth's tiny remote could both allow and disallow her free will at any time, and she knew that as soon as she neared her home city, she would lose the ability to operate under her own power.

The new, Carth-controlled Videl Satan landed on the paved sidewalk of her home city, immediately looking towards her target - Satan City National Bank. The outlandish, pitch black building towered over the low rising apartment flats which neighbored it, sticking out like a sore thumb. Walking right up to the front door of the bank, 'Videl' turned the handle of the glass entryway and crossed the threshold into the bank. The new android charged a noticeable amount of artificially enhanced ki in the palm of her right hand, allowing the glowing sphere to increase in strength. The part of Videl that was conscious inside her controlled body recognized the purpose of her latest order - to instill fear in the population. After it reached a sufficient power, Carth had Videl aim her hand directly at the bank teller behind the front desk and fire a ki blast, the beam streaming out of her hand like a bullet out of a gun. The enormous strength behind the blast winded Videl slightly as it created a crater-sized hole in the wall, killing its main target and all people surrounding the teller.

The aware portion of Videl's brain found the act of murdering an innocent bystander atrocious and revolting, but the new technology implanted in her ensured that Carth could force her body to betray her wishes and perform ungodly sins. The screams of countless scared people reached her ears and made her want to retch uncontrollably. Even for a crimefighter who had captured and arrested a large number of criminals, murder was something which still appalled her. She was one of the most prolific law enforcers in existence and had a stunning success rate of preventing injustices and tragedies.

A police officer who had been depositing checks into his account called out to Videl. "What are y-you doing?" he stuttered, his voice shaking. The officer's fear radiated off of his body in spades as the man aimed the quivering gun right between her pigtails. "If you make any moves," he said as he gained some confidence, "I will be forced to shoot you."

Responding to her directive, Videl grinned and beckoned for the man to fire if he wished. The cop squeezed the trigger and jump-started the process of firing a bullet. The silver, cylindrical projectile blasted out of the gun, rocketing right at Videl. The girl simply stood in place with a smirk plastered on her face. As the bullet approached, her hand shot up right in its path. The officer took several steps back when he saw the aftermath; Videl had stopped the bullet with just one finger.

Following Videl's display, the patrons of the bank stared wide-eyed at her, clearly disturbed and bothered by her actions.

"Everybody listen up!" Videl shouted into the mayhem of the scene. "What is happening right now is a demonstration of what will happen to anyone who doesn't conform to the ideals of my master. Objections shall be answered with a painful and terrible end." The words escaping her lips made her want to puke, but Carth wouldn't even allow her that luxury.

One lone, shaky hand slowly raised into the air. It belonged to a woman, one of the bank's tellers judging from her nametag, who looked to be in her early twenties. Her eyes were wide with fear, and her pupils dilated from the adrenaline-filled situation. She made eye-contact with Satan City's former heroine. The real Videl wanted to call out to her, tell her that everything was going to be okay, that she would beat up the bad guys and drag them off to jail, but of course her tongue remained motionless in her mouth. The woman waved her whole arm, as if shouting, 'pay attention to me!' At last, the new Videl had no choice but to answer.

"What do you want?" Carth demanded, using Videl as his conduit.

"Aren't you Videl Satan?" the woman asked.

"What of it?" She responded coolly.

"I-I thought you were a hero," the teller stated, clearly confused.

"The term hero depends on whose point of view you're looking from," Videl explained. The portion of her mind which tried to fight Carth's control wanted to thank the woman and voice her own opinions, but couldn't. "To many I was a hero when I defended this city to my wits' end, but what did I get for that? A complete lack of emotional attachments and a suspicious nature. Now I'm free to use these newfound powers to murder as many people as my heart desires."

She could practically hear Carth cackling at the pure irony of the heroic Videl Satan uttering these words, despite the mechanical menace being miles away. She received another direct order from him and attempted to will her way into disobeying it, to no avail. Looking down at her hands, she watched as they betrayed her and charged up yet another massive ki blast. Her lips involuntarily formed a smirk and a Vegeta-like laugh passed through them as her hands released another mass of ki, killing dozens upon impact.

Moments later, the first news crew arrived on the scene, mere minutes after the situation had unfolded. Videl's eyes shifted towards the recent arrivals and she noticed with disdain that the crew had quickly set up their equipment outside. She was certain Carth would want all of the news reporters exterminated.

She inwardly cringed as her fingers curled into a fist against her deepest wishes. Her nails punctured her skin and applied pressure to her palm, tightening the fist. Her body then flew forward like a rocket, denting the van that the news reporters drove in. The ki which had been discreetly forming in her balled hand shot forward, incinerating the van, all of the technological equipment and cameras remained inside, along with the unfortunate driver. The look on his face as he burst into flames broke Videl's heart.

"You." Videl reluctantly addressed the nearest shaking reporter, a portly man in his forties. He pointed at himself and mouthed the word 'me,' too terrified to even speak properly. Carth ordered his new plaything to grab the man by the collar, and so she did. "Yes, you. Get your equipment and prepare to broadcast. My master has something he wants to tell the world." Inwardly, the teen girl was scared as hell for what Carth had planned. She'd just been forced to annihilate far too many innocents and knew the crazy man controlling her had an ulterior purpose in mind from the start. She just dreaded what he would have her do. Originally, her orders were just to take Satan City hostage and kill anybody who objected, but, now the plan had become bigger.

The man rustled around in his pocket. When he withdrew his hand, it clutched a tiny capsule from which burst a new tripod and some fresh broadcasting equipment. Immediately, the rest of the surviving news team sprung into action and rumbled with the buttons, frantically trying to turn the machine on. Once the small red light began beeping, he spoke. "It's all good to go. We're ready when you are."

Videl ripped a microphone from the neatly manicured hands of the blonde reporter and positioned herself in front of the camera. The portly cameraman counted down. "We're live in 3, 2, 1!"

**A/N A-man, Agree to disagree. The more appropriate place for this debate would be via PM. Feel free to send us a message Kanotari or DarkVoid116 if you care to continue discussing.**


	21. Evil Ways

**This chapter is brought to you by DarkVoid116 and Kanotari**

**...**

"Trunks! That's no fair!" Goten whined as the lavender-haired demi-Saiyan snatched the remote out of his hand. The young pair of prepubescent Saiyans had engaged in a battle of speed, each trying to acquire the remote and turn on their favorite television program. Trunks won the latest match by using a sudden burst of speed to reappear in front of Goten and take the device, disappearing before Goten had an opportunity to act.

"Goten, it's perfectly fair," Trunks responded matter-of-factly, his finger landing on the '2' button and changing the channel to Channel 2222, home of the International Wrestling Federation.

"...and in today's Wrestle Wednesday match-up, we have two fierce competitors!" the announcer on the glowing screen announced.

"See what you did, Goten?" Trunks sighed. "This is what happens when you act like such a sore loser."

"Am not!" Goten protested. He too made a power play for the remote. The television flashed past several channels before finally settling on the nature channel. The images of two hyenas bickering over a scrap of meat mirrored the two demi-saiyans battling for victory, though the hyenas sounded far more articulate.

"You big meanie," Goten muttered under his breath.

"Hey! I heard that!" the lavender-haired boy shot back. "You're the meanie, meanie!"

The hyenas were gone, replaced by a game of baseball, then a water polo match-up, then a jet-car race, until Trunks finally snatched the remote away from the younger boy, sticking his tongue out.

"Goten, let's play a new game. Close your eyes and count to ten."

Goten obliged and shut his eyelids and began counting, presumably. Trunks flipped through the channels at an incredible pace before finding his favorite TV show. The lavender-haired child then floated towards the window, opened it up, and chucked the remote out at supersonic speeds.

At the conclusion of the ten seconds, Goten opened up his eyes and began glancing around to see what he was supposed to do. He was broken out of his momentary trance when he noticed Trunks wasn't in front of him. Spinning around on the spot, the young Son boy noticed his adoptive brother grinning maliciously.

"Looks like we're watching Poogy Doo, Goten," Trunks stated triumphantly.

"No, it looks like we're watching the news."

The two boys spun around rapidly at the sound of their mother's voice.

"Hah!" Goten said triumphantly. Sure it wasn't what he wanted to watch, but it wasn't his brother's show either.

"Now Goten, be nice to your brother!" the bluenette admonished. She marched over to Trunks and parked in between him and the television screen. "That goes for you too, mister," she said.

"Yes Mom," he mumbled, pouting all the while.

"That's what I thought," the young mother smirked. "Now why don't you boys go play outside? You can play find the remote."

"But Mom!" Goten protested. "Trunks was the one who threw it!"

"But Goten! You were the one who was fighting with him," Bulma laughed.

Trunks opened his mouth to protest as well, but the heiress put a finger to the boy's quivering lip before he could speak. "No buts. Go on now. Outside!"

The two boys rose from the carpet, shooting dark looks at each other, but did as they were told. Bulma smiled at their retreating figures. They were rascals, the two of them, but good kids. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and plopped down in front of the television, praising herself for her quality parenting. A few clicks of the remote, and the screen changed to the image of a man in a suit. The ticker read 'BREAKING NEWS,' but Bulma didn't particularly care. It wasn't as though most breaking news was dire...

She nearly spit out her water when she saw the story. The headline scrolling across the top of her television screen read: Videl Satan Suspected of Mass Murder and Robbery.

If the blue-haired heiress hadn't met the feisty crimefighter mere days earlier, she would've just coughed it up to some traumatizing event transforming a noble person for worse, the exact opposite of her Vegeta's life path. However, the bigger issue at present was that Videl was supposedly dead. Gohan and everyone else sensed her ki level plummet and then disappear off the face of the planet. What was going on? Bulma turned up the volume.

"World-renowned seeker of justice and our savior's daughter, Videl Satan, has demanded that all local news channels broadcast her speech. She is currently holding one man hostage to ensure that we comply. We here at Channel 543 news have promised her our full cooperation, and so we now go live to the Satan City National Bank to hear her message."

Bulma kept her eyes glued to the screen, dozens of thoughts cycling through her brain. Apparently Carth hadn't killed Videl after all, but the question now became, why spare her? How did he make her ki vanish? Did she escape? Most importantly, why was she killing helpless civilians?

At that very moment, Trunks and Goten reappeared, remote in tow. Their mother spared them a single glance before turning her attention back towards the TV. "Trunks, go get your father. Now!" she added.

Bulma's voice was so insistent that the purple-haired demi-Saiyan scurried out of the room, doing as his mother asked without so much as a squeak of protest.

Videl then appeared on the screen, a venomous glare etched onto her features. The Brief woman stood fully alert as the Satan girl began speaking into the microphone.

"People of Satan City," Videl started, glaring directly into the cameras as she spoke.

Bulma bit her lip. Already, she could tell something was wrong. There was something off about the way the girl spoke; Videl's voice had never sounded so cold, so venomous before. And the look on her face... murderous.

"You know me. I've fought to protect you for years. I've come before you today to tell you that I was wrong. I made a grave mistake."

The viewers began to babble in relief. Of course their precious saviour hadn't turned on them! Videl Satan was their precious protector, a champion of the people. She must have had a reason for her actions! It all made sense now.

Videl smirked as Carth's words rolled out of her mouth. "That mistake was saving you and your meaningless existences."

Suddenly, the room grew deathly silent. The noise of a simple fidget or even shallow breathing became unbearingly loud.

"Yes, citizens. You heard me correctly," Videl continued. "I should have let you all die."

Bulma couldn't believe her ears. What had happened to the girl's unwavering sense of justice? What in the world could've possibly caused this drastic change in her attitude?

The heiress' attention was brought towards the door when the outline of her Saiyan prince appeared suddenly.

"Why did you pull me away from my training, woman?" he demanded, jumping directly to the point.

"Vegeta," she started, "look at the screen." Those five words were all that were necessary. As soon as the warrior glanced towards the television monitor, he understood his wife's request. Bulma saw several emotions wash across his face, from surprise to relief to confusion.

"She's alive, I see," Vegeta commented absentmindedly.

"Alive and murdering people," Bulma corrected. "I've heard of teenage rebellion before, but this... this is ridiculous!"

"Something seems different about her," the Saiyan mused, crossing his arms over his chest as he tried to place his finger on just what was unusual about the new Videl.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious!" the bluenette exclaimed, annoyance clear as day in the tone of her voice. "Why don't you make yourself useful and go get her?" She glared at him for a moment before adding a "Please" as an afterthought.

The dark-haired man muttered a few words of displeasure, but Bulma could see that her husband accepted that this was a necessity. Still, he glared venomously at his wife before stalking out the door with the nonchalance of a housewife running to the grocery store. Bulma sighed in relief once he was gone, leaning back in her chair; as all of their family and friends knew, Vegeta could be a royal pain in the ass when the occasion called for it, and she feared he'd put up more of an opposition to her request.

"Mommy..." a little voice to her left trailed off. The heiress's head whipped around, and she saw her adoptive son trembling. "Why is big brother's lady friend being so mean to everybody?" If the situation hadn't been potentially dire, she would've thought Goten's reaction was adorable.

"I don't know, Goten," Bulma admitted sadly, "but your daddy is checking it out. We should check with your big brother. Maybe he knows." The mother picked up her son and reached for a phone all in one swift motion. Her fingers flew over the keys as she dialed the familiar numbers. It rang, but no one answered.

"Dammit Gohan," she murmured, tapping her foot impatiently. "Pick up the phone!" After a good thirty seconds, she gave up and left the teen a message.

With a heavy sigh, she sat back down in front of the television, Goten on her lap. The boy climbed down and ran into the other room, apparently uninterested in the day's developments if his big brother wasn't involved. As he disappeared around the corner, Bulma could hear him whispering "Dammit!" excitedly. She heaved another sigh, realizing that she would have to correct that habit, but not now.

The blue-haired woman turned up the volume once more, deciding that she could be most useful by finding out what Videl was after.

"Miss Videl, can you explain why you have suddenly became an even eviler version of Saiya?"

Bulma barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes in annoyance at the reporter's phrasing. Had Gohan seen that, his partially-suppressed indifferent nature from when he was the 'missing Ox Prince' may have reappeared. Still though, the heiress kept her attention focused on the screen for Videl's response.

"My master, a man named Carth Ehrhardt, has his eyes set on world domination and I've realized that I believe in his way. Protecting people just got so... old," Videl drew out her words with a mischievous smirk, "and I'm now stronger than ever. I intend to showcase my power to do my master's bidding."

Bulma considered the possibilities and came up empty, realizing that she needed to wait to see the girl in person before diagnosing what happened.

"And his bidding is that I control this city. Does anyone have a problem with that?" Videl asked. Her face said it all; no one would dare challenge her. And no one did. The silence was deafening. The bank full of people, everyone watching on television... they all sat quietly, hoping, praying that someone else would speak up. The answer to their prayers came in an unexpected form: a cup of soda, soaring through the air.

The fast food cup arced through the air leaving a trail of droplets behind it until it rammed into a wall of flesh. Videl's flesh, more specifically. The cocky smile was rinsed off her face in a bath of bubbly soda, replaced by a furious glare. She bent down and picked up the cup, the soggy bit of paper that had humiliated her.

Her voice was ice cold as she demanded, "Who threw this?"

No one volunteered. The crowd was silent, afraid of their once-Savior.

"Who threw this?" Videl hissed. Again, there was no response. Just as she was about to scream, she noticed something: a finger. A man was pointing to the woman next to him, his finger shaking. Videl recognized the look in his eyes: sheer cowardice. She knew the man hated himself for betraying the woman, but fear made him do it anyway.

The crowd parted, leaving a generous amount of space around Videl as the android strode into the crowd, straight for the woman. The woman tried to back up like the rest of the crowd around her, but they shoved her forward. She was a sacrifice offered up to the terror that stood before them.

Instead of running, the woman accepted her fate. She stood before Videl and crossed her arms defiantly.

"You did this," Videl growled, pointing a growing ball of ki at the woman.

"Yes. Yes I did," she responded. Her chin was held high.

"What sort of punishment do you think you deserve?" Videl asked, slowly lowering the power of the golden orb in her hand. She allowed a smirk to grace her features as she awaited the woman's response.

"P-punishment?" the woman stuttered. "You're not going to kill me?"

"Well, I probably am. However, this kind of injustice deserves suffering. You humiliated me in front of my audience," she added, a wicked smile making its way onto her face. "What is your name?"

"Cora," the frightened woman responded.

"Such a nice name for such a mean woman. You know, I used to be a police officer. Or, rather, I used to assist the police. With the police, mean woman like yourself usually end up in a jail cell for harassment, assault, you name it. So," the ex-heroine continued, "I give you two choices. First, I torture you then throw you in jail, and perhaps spare you. Second, this glowing orb of energy impales you through your chest. It's up to you."

Eyes as wide as dinner plates stared back at Videl, Cora's mouth opened and closed like a gawking duck, no sounds escaping her lips.

"Considering your lack of a response, I'll go with Option A: my personal favorite, torture."

With that, Videl leapt into the air and kneed Cora in the face, the impact of the blow causing the woman to be tossed like a rag doll through the air, blood splattering everywhere. Taking off into the air after her victim at and extremely fast pace, Videl caught up within moments and stopped the other girl's momentum, swinging her leg around and roundhouse kicking Cora in the waist.

Before Cora got too far, Videl appeared in front of her and, with her hands balled into one fist, jackhammered the other woman into the ground. Screams erupted from the crowd at the brutal display of animalistic violence. People sprinted off in every which direction, hoping to escape the deranged former crimefighter's psychopathic wrath.

Videl slowly floated to the ground in front of the battered, broken body of the imbecile she was slaughtering. "Cora, you don't look so good. Maybe you should've taken option B."

The only response was a whimper of pain from the lady in question, and even that seemed like a struggle. What remained in front of Videl hardly seemed to resemble Cora anymore. Her nose was gushing blood and obviously broken, her leg was twisted at an unnatural angle and also clearly broken, her clothes were torn to shreds and she overall looked like a mangled mess.

"By the way, Cora," the female android began offhandedly, "do you want to hear about a neat torture technique I thought up all by myself?"

It took a few seconds for an answer to be said, but when it was, Videl could barely hear it. After asking Cora to repeat herself a bit louder this time, she could hear it loud and clear. "Fuck you," Cora had ground out between broken, chipped, and shattered teeth, all a result of the force her body had hit the ground with.

"I think that was the wrong answer," the Satan girl admonished, picking up her enemy's broken body by the neck. She squeezed a little, receiving a small gasp of pain in response, then dug each of her thumbs into Cora's corresponding shoulders, eliciting a loud scream.

"You see, Cora, by charging ki into my thumbs I can pierce through your skin like it's sand and inflict a massive amount of pain at will. Oops," she mockingly apologized when Cora let out an earth-shattering yell. "That was probably something important."

"I think you've lived just about long enough, Cora. If I were you, I'd prepare your last prayers. In the next few minutes, or seconds if I get bored, you'll be joining Cell down below."

Videl only waited about thirty seconds before beginning to charge a ball of ki in her left hand. When it had reached an adequate amount of power, she grabbed Cora by the neck with her right hand, extended her limply out in front of her, then placed the ball of ki at her face. "This is your death, Cora. You will die by my hands. Say goodbye!"

Then, everything went black.

...

This was so beneath him. The prince of all Saiyans did not perform remedial tasks better suited for Cue Ball!

Still, though... it was most curious. In the time he'd known this Videl girl, she seemed to be strong in character and resolve, and he would have bet a large sum of money that those characteristics would have kept her from being corrupted. Apparently, that is a bet he would have lost.

Vegeta glanced down at the now-unconscious girl in his arms and smirked a little. If nothing else, she had the spirit of a true killer. Considering how _peaceful _the last seven years had been, the former murderer nearly forgot the thrill of the kill. Gohan's sanity and his wife's harping were the only things that had kept him from allowing Videl to kill that Cora woman.

No, he didn't necessarily fear his woman's wrath... but no food, no fixing the gravity room, no training with either of his two sons, and no sex were four compromises he wasn't willing to make.

"What the hell happened to you, girl?" he thought aloud.

He knew Bulma would be frantic. He had, after all, destroyed all the cameras in the vicinity of that bank shortly after he went Super Saiyan. He could picture the woman now, pacing around the house and swearing at the television.

Tightening his grip on the teen in his arms - Gohan would probably blow up the planet if she died now - the Saiyan prince expanded his energy, powering up further in his Super Saiyan state. He accelerated towards West City, reaching the city limits within moments. His home compound, the expansive dome which housed Capsule Corp., could be discerned on the horizon.

As he approached the gigantic estate, Vegeta could feel Trunks and Goten's agitated life forces practically bouncing off the walls in the main room. _The boys have probably been like this since the TV went out_, Vegeta mused.

Setting down on the grass, the warrior allowed his energy to dissipate, his shoulders relaxing as the tension dissolved.

"Woman!" he hollered as he entered his home. "I brought the brat's girl back."

Capsule Corp.'s heiress appeared in the room shortly thereafter, flashing a toothy smile at Vegeta. "Thanks, hon," she praised, "and now once she wakes up, we can get to the bottom of this mystery."

The only remaining pure Saiyan nodded in understanding, knowing if anyone could figure out what was wrong with the Satan girl, his wife could. She _was_ the richest and most brilliant woman on the planet for good reason, after all.

"Where are the kids?" he inquired. He had noticed the lack of super-powered children, and he knew they were both riled up from the events of the past hour.

"They're playing in Trunks' room," Bulma explained. "I gave them their Christmas presents a few months early. They needed the distraction."

Vegeta nodded, agreeing. He looked down at the prone figure in his arms, then back to his wife.

The bluenette sighed. "I don't even know," she admitted at last, running her hand through her unnaturally-colored hair. "I still have so many questions."

"Well she can't stay here," Vegeta muttered darkly.

Bulma placed a hand on her husband's shoulder, gently running her fingers over his skin. "What?" she asked with a mischievous smirk. "Are your arms getting tired?"

If looks could kill...

"I'm putting her in the Gravity Room," the Saiyan decided.

Bulma wrinkled her nose, and asked, "Why?"

Vegeta closed his eyes, considering for a moment how best to explain the situation. "She's dangerous."

"This is Videl, Vegeta," Bulma countered. "She's Gohan's friend, a nice girl. She protects her city-"

"She has a strange definition of protecting. Did you not watch her nearly decapitate a woman over a spilled drink? She is not the person I would choose to babysit my children."

"She's been through a lot!" the woman protested.

"That is exactly the problem," Vegeta snapped. "We don't know what she has been through."

He watched as Bulma's eyes widened, as her hopeful expression melted away. He was right, and now she knew it. The heiress bit her lip and her shuffled her feet uncomfortably, but at last, she nodded.

Vegeta turned and left, carrying Videl's dead weight down the hallway. Perhaps he had expended too much energy in his haste to return home, but the girl's body seemed heavier than it should be. He punched in the six-digit code that unlocked the Gravity Room. His actions were rewarded when the heavy door slid open, allowing him to enter the room. The Saiyan crouched down and gingerly laid Videl's limp form on the floor, delicately positioning her limbs next to her body. The gentle motions were enough to cause Videl's eyelids to flutter; she was waking up.

For a moment, Vegeta met her piercing blue gaze and felt an unusual discomfort. He knew that look. It was, after all, the same look he wore on the day he wore the day he left his home with Frieza. All the same, he left her there, lying on the floor, purple and blue blossoming where he had punched her. But things were different this time; now he had people to protect. Videl, pitiful expression or not, brave warrior or not, must be locked away for the sake of his family. It was their faces he pictured as he shut the door behind him and set the room for four times Earth's gravity.

The short walk back to the kitchen, where the woman waited, gave Vegeta time to contemplate his decision and mull over ways to deal with the present dilemma. He needed to work through some things that weren't adding up, but first he needed to talk to his wife.

"What are you doing now, Bulma?" he said, walking back into the main room. She was chewing at her nails, peeling off the layers of polish, something she often did before battle. Vegeta had come to understand that it meant the woman was feeling apprehensive about something.

"I'm wondering where Gohan is," she admitted, before adding, "He never called me back, which worries me."

"You worry too much," Vegeta said dismissively. Still, he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, adding "If you're so concerned, call him again. Maybe he never checked his phone; he could be occupied."

With a new purpose, Bulma scurried into the kitchen, unhooking the telephone from the wall. She hit each button, dialing out to Gohan's phone. Vegeta couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, even with his sensitive hearing, but the fact that someone answered at all was a positive sign as far as he was concerned. Perhaps things were looking up.

Moments later, a mess of blue hair poked its way around the corner of the kitchen, staring impassively at Vegeta, questioning eyes boring into him. "He picked up," she whispered, holding her hand over the receiver.

Saiyan snorted, holding back a derisive comment. "I noticed. What did he say?"

"Well, honestly," the heiress admitted, "he seemed eerily calm and collected. I expected him to... I dunno. Freak out? Break something?"

Stretching out his ki senses, Vegeta felt a small blip miles and miles away, moving at a blistering pace toward their location. He recognized it; Gohan was powering up. Apparently he wasn't bothering to conceal his ki, considering the breakneck speed he was travelling at. "What exactly did you tell him?" Vegeta demanded uneasily as small beads of sweat began to roll down his forehead. The brat seemed infuriated.

"I told him we found Videl and he needed to get back as soon as possible," the bluenette explained. "I may have glossed over a few minor details."

Vegeta sighed, massaging his temples with his fingertips. It didn't take a genius to figure out both he and his wife were apprehensive about what was about to come, so the Saiyan prince slowly walked over to her and placed his calloused hands on her hips, holding her against him. He held her tightly, trying to reassure her with a rare sign of affection.

"Woman, she is awake now," he said softly. "Something is wrong, though, and Kakarot's kid is going to know it immediately. Once I've made sure he's acting rationally, I need to talk with the Namek."

The front door to the Brief household burst open. The wooden frame was even ripped away from the sheer force. Bulma and Vegeta's eyes snapped to the source: the prince of the Ox Kingdom, transformed in his Super Saiyan state, standing where their door used to be. His spiky golden hair whipped in the air and his turquoise eyes held a murderous glint as he clenched and unclenched his fists, staring at his brother's adoptive parents.

"What the fuck happened to Videl and why can't I feel her ki?"

...

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	22. Opening Wounds

Chapter 22:

Opening Wounds

**This chapter is brought to you by DarkVoid116, Kanotari, and Dying Grin**

* * *

><p>"What the fuck happened to Videl and why can't I feel her ki?"<p>

As soon as the words left Gohan's lips, his Super Saiyan aura spiked even more. He ignored the sound of the wooden doorframe smashing into the nearby wall and bursting into a million pieces, instead focusing his attention on Bulma and Vegeta, his eyes begging for more details than the bluenette had offered on the phone.

"As you've no doubt noticed, considering the fact that you're ascended," the Saiyan Prince drawled on, "Videl's resurfaced, but there's something wrong."

"Thank you for pointing out the obvious," Gohan snapped.

The Super Saiyan's emotions were a whirlwind; apprehension, calmness, and everything in between morphed into a ticking time bomb. From the look on Vegeta's face, he knew it too.

"Brat, relax and think for one second. We don't know what's wrong with her, so you need to be cautious." The Saiyan prince sighed in exasperation as the lightning around Gohan crackled and sparked, the immense energy output readily apparent.

Minutes passed with the two powerful warriors in a staredown, but at last, Gohan powered down into the first stage of Super Saiyan with a heavy sigh. The intense lightning evaporated and his ki plummeted as he regained control over his chaotic emotions.

"Good. Now that you're calm, go talk to her. She's restrained in the Gravity Room. I need to talk with the Namek."

Gohan continued to stand there, motionless, as Vegeta strutted out the front door. Inside the teenager's head, a fierce emotional battle was raging on, each side attempting to conquer the other. On one hand, he'd been so drained and tired the past few days from worrying over Videl that he probably wasn't in a good enough frame of mind to handle this. On the other, he'd missed Videl so damned much. It was excruciating knowing she was less than a minute's walk away and yet here he was, glued to this spot.

"Gohan," said a soft voice, interrupting his thoughts. "What are you thinking?"

He turned his attention towards Bulma, recognizing the concern in her voice. "I'm just worried, that's all. I'm less than a hundred feet from her and yet I can't pick up her ki. Is she that weak? Or is it something else?"

Bulma smiled apologetically, walking towards the boy she'd come to love as a son, and wrapped him up in a bear-like hug.

"I need to talk to her, Bulma." Tears were beginning to form in his eyes. His carefully constructed emotional walls were beginning to crack, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Go, kid," she whispered, giving him a reassuring smile, "I'll make sure the two little rascals don't disturb you."

Gohan nodded and left the room, trying to put his mind at peace. He was conflicted about speaking to Videl, understandably, but he hoped that with a few calming breaths, they could have a nice, reasonable conversation. The Gravity Room wasn't very far away, so before he knew it, his hands were preparing to punch in the security code. What should he say, though? He'd been too frantic since the kidnapping, so he'd never really given an ounce of thought to the actual conversation they were about to have. Where would he even begin? The last time he had talked to her, he wanted to know if her father was always so obnoxious and loud. He rubbed the back of his neck, cursing himself for his lack of tact.

To think that just a short while ago, he was a superhero protecting Satan City, and had threatened Hercule Satan to make Videl comply with his wishes. Oh, how long ago that seemed. Gohan took a deep breath: in and out. With a newfound resolve, he rapped lightly on the door to the force-enhancing chamber, alerting Videl of his incoming presence before typing in the six-digit code he now knew by heart.

A soft whoosh followed as the metallic door slid open to allow him entrance. As he stepped into the room, he was greeted by a sight that he was somewhat unprepared for. Videl's body was virtually glued to the Gravity Room floor, her extremities bound in painful-looking positions. The door shut behind him, which restarted the system. When the number eventually settled on seven times Earth's gravity, he was stunned into silence. Gohan felt the gravity gradually crank up to three times Earth's gravity, then four. He frowned as he felt it continue to increase until at last the pressure settled at seven times. He assumed Vegeta pumped up the gravity, but seven!? Videl should only be able to stand three, maybe four times after the training he'd given her. Even with her newfound ability to fly, seven times the Earth's gravity should crush her bones.

"W-what are you _looking_ at?" Videl snapped from her place on the ground. The dismissive, rude tone she greeted him with threw him for a loop. Why would she be so callous in her first direct contact with him since before Bahia held her at knifepoint? What could've changed?

"What happened to you?"

They both let the question float in the air, until the silence made Gohan second-guess his decision to speak.

"Your oh-so-nice friend glued me to the fucking floor. What does it look like?"

A knot constricted Gohan's throat, making him unable to voice his opinion on her answer. Who _was _this girl? She definitely wasn't the same girl who held him as he cried over his mother, or the one who fought criminals with a passion when he first arrived at school in Satan City. Something had changed, something irreparable. He needed to get to the bottom of this.

"Cat got your tongue, eh?" Videl asked sarcastically. She gave a small, but hearty laugh at her own expense. "You can't muster up the balls to respond, and I can't even summon the strength to flip you off. Just the perfect fucking pair, aren't we?"

Gohan's expression darkened. In the past decade, he'd fought Cell, watched his mother die in front of his eyes, and then lived more than six years in solitude as a recluse. Hercule Satan's daughter was important to him, but she had clearly had undergone some sort of traumatic experience which was reshaping her world view. She was different.

"I accepted you as a friend, as someone different than the rest," Gohan sighed. "You're acting exactly like the preconceived notion I had for humankind during my seven year absence. Tell me," he continued, adopting a sarcastic, cruel tone, "why don't you have any ki right now?"

The fight in Videl disappeared, immediately making the demi-Saiyan feel guilty. Perhaps it really was a temporary knee-jerk reaction to a traumatic event. She could just be lashing out her frustration with the entire situation. But then, she started chuckling darkly. "Wouldn't you like to know, Gohan?"

The tone in her voice was the final straw for the Saiyan. He could feel tears pricking at the corners of his eyes, threatening to spill out. This girl, who he so surely thought he had feelings for, was now a ghost of herself.

Deciding he'd had enough, Gohan spun around and slowly stormed out of the Gravity Room. He spared his friend another glance, wondering if she was even his friend anymore, and left without a word. His inner Saiyan wanted to lash out, but the part of him which had developed and evolved since meeting Goten and Videl won out, forcing him to take the high road and leave.

Once outside the chamber, he felt his strength leave him as his emotions took control. The powerful Saiyan leaned against the door, letting his body slide down the cold metal until he found himself sitting on the floor, holding his head in his hands. So much had happened recently, and it was starting to take a substantial toll on his emotional health. Checking his pockets, he sighed as he recalled they were empty. Dr. Flappe and Krillin still had the device.

He needed some time to himself, he ultimately decided: No distractions. No Bulma, no Vegeta, no Flappe, no Krillin, and especially no Videl. With that mindset firmly entrenched, Gohan walked out the front door, offering a small smile to Bulma on the way out, and blasted out the front door with one destination in his sights: his grandfather's burial site.

* * *

><p>The Namek could sense him coming the moment his ki signature left Capsule Corp. and began high-tailing it for the Lookout. He was, quite simply, blasting through the sky at break-neck speed in Super Saiyan form.<p>

Piccolo stood up and tossed his weighted clothing aside. He couldn't recall doing anything that would warrant the Saiyan prince coming after him at such an insane speed. Maybe he just had something urgent to discuss. Hopefully that was all.

Dende was pacing on the other side of the Lookout, staring out in the direction that Vegeta would be arriving from. It troubled the elder Namek to see his protege so worried over this. Perhaps the kid knew something he didn't, but if that were the case, why wouldn't he share?

"Dende," Piccolo began, "what has you troubled?"

"I can't seem to pinpoint what's changed in Gohan's friend's mind," the young guardian explained. Elaborating further, Dende continued, "Plus, the entire period of time she was kidnapped, I couldn't see anything involving her whatsoever. It's odd," he concluded.

Before Piccolo could respond, Vegeta touched down on the Lookout with a thunderous crash, embedding his feet into the pearly white tiled floor.

"Namek!" he grunted. "We have matters to attend to."

Ah, so it _was_ just talk. Crouching down, Piccolo slid his weighted cape over his shoulders, simultaneously materializing a new turban for himself.

"To what do I owe the honor, Vegeta?" Piccolo allowed a small smirk to find its way to his features, strangely relishing in the other man's unease. If the problem endangered Gohan, his smirk would be short lived, but at least for now it was kind of nice seeing the warrior rattled.

"The girl. Gohan's little friend," Vegeta explained, waving a hand dismissively. "She has no traceable ki signature right now, and I can't make heads or tails of it."

"Wasn't she kidnapped?" Piccolo inquired.

"I see you've been paying attention," Vegeta said dryly.

Growling under his breath at Vegeta's annoying sarcasm, the Namekian warrior looked towards Dende. "You mentioned not being able to pinpoint what's wrong with her mind, Dende. What was that about?"

Both fighters turned their attention towards Kami's successor, awaiting his response. The young healer seemed to run through a few different options before eventually responding. "Something is clearly off with her, mentally. She killed innocent bystanders, Piccolo."

_'That isn't good'_, Piccolo mused. Last time he'd seen the girl was when he, Gohan, and Vegeta were defending Capsule Corp. from those RabitGrass elites. Back then, she appeared to have an excellent head on her shoulders and had her priorities in order. What had changed in such a short amount of time? Piccolo bit his bottom lip as he pondered some potential solutions.

"Out with it, Namek," the Saiyan prince demanded.

"I was just going over everything that we know, from Chi Chi being murdered by this Coco person, to Dr. Gero's involvement, to Carth, to Bahia. It's all tied together somehow, and it's bugging me."

"Do you remember," Vegeta started, "when Videl was kidnapped and her ki disappeared? We all initially feared she'd died, but then you proposed an energy shield had been used to hide her ki."

"Yes, I remember. Where are you going with this?" the Namekian snapped irritably.

"I have a few ideas, but I need to talk to the Woman." With that, the surly Saiyan prince jetted off the Lookout, spiralling down towards the Earth. Piccolo observed as he halted his nosedive and gracefully transitioned into a beeline for Capsule Corp right around the time he reached Korin's Tower.

* * *

><p>Bulma watched the two tiny black and white figures on the screen. The expressions on both teenagers' faces made her wish that she had the foresight to install an audio system, but as it was, she could only guess what they must be talking about. The same questions had been running through her head ever since Videl had made national news. Why... why would she throw away the reputation she worked so hard for? How could she abandon her friends, her family, Gohan? And what had Carth done to her to make her forget the person she once was?<p>

She felt her husband wrap his arm around her. She knew it was just a ploy so he could spy at the young couple over her shoulder, but it made her smile anyway.

"Was Piccolo helpful?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer. If Vegeta's visit to the Namek had been productive, her husband would be proclaiming his revelation for all to hear.

"Is he ever?" Vegeta snapped.

Bulma rolled her eyes. Getting answers from Vegeta was about as easy as opening a jar with a handful of grease. "I take it he didn't sense any magic affecting Videl."

A low growl gave her the answer she was expecting. She shot the Saiyan a smile and gently took his hand. "It was a good idea, sweetie," she said comfortingly.

Vegeta shot her a venomous glare; he hated pet names. She tried not to giggle, but she so loved it when her plans worked, and her plan to distract her husband had worked like a charm.

"What are they yammering about anyway?" Vegeta demanded as he gestured to the monitor. It was a blatant attempt to change the topic, but Bulma accepted it.

The heiress shrugged her shoulders. "Turned off the sound." She placed a finger on the Saiyan's lips before he could demand an explanation. "They deserve some privacy," she explained.

"Privacy?" he scoffed. "Is that why you can't take your eyes of the screen?"

Bulma suppressed a snort. Maybe she was a bit of a hypocrite. "I can't help it," she sighed. "I get like this whenever I have a mystery on my hands."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, carefully observing his wife. She folded her hand under her chin, pursing her lips. It was a position he recognized, an old habit of hers. Her father had called it her 'thinking pose'.

"What did you and Piccolo talk about?" she asked suddenly.

"The Namek can't sense Videl's Ki either," Vegeta grunted. "She should be dead."

"Ki," Bulma said with a smile. "Videl has no ki." She stood up, her eyes flashing wildly as she realized what she had stumbled upon. "Why?"

That Saiyan frowned. It was a mystery he had been trying to solve all day. "Well it's not necromancy," he said dryly.

"What?!" Her eyes widened in surprise, but then she laughed, waving her hand dismissively. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm thinking of something much simpler."

The Saiyan could feel his molars grinding together. Bulma was toying with him, he knew she was! She just loved it when she knew something he didn't. He crossed his arms over his muscular chest. "Just tell me," he spat, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Who else do we know that has no ki?" she asked, smirking.

And then it hit him. "Gero is involved again. He must have done something to the girl, something more than a ki-shield."

With a wink of her eye, Bulma pointed a finger pistol at the Saiyan and fired an imaginary shot. "Bullseye." She looked back at the monitors and her cocky smile vanished. "I only wish I knew just what was involved here. Is it some sort of ki-suppression device, or did they actually remove organic material from her body? Or maybe-"

She was silenced by a simple gesture: Vegeta put his finger to her lip. Now, it was his turn to smirk. "Don't worry," he said, cracking his knuckles. "I'll go find out."

* * *

><p>Videl hated it, being Carth's puppet. She had acted so cold and distant when Gohan burst in, unable to tell him the real reason for her actions. That bastard had taken her and had moulded her into his own little puppet, an android that couldn't speak her own mind. She just wished she had control over her own body. It wasn't the first time, and she had a sinking feeling that it certainly wouldn't be the last.<p>

Carth had control of everything.

Her eyes perused the room, scanning for an exit. She could try and blast the door down, she supposed, but Carth wanted something with a bit of stealth and finesse. The problem was that the door seemed to be the only way out. Carth wanted an advantage. He wanted his little theft to be a secret, which meant that going in guns-a-blazing was out of the question.

She felt Vegeta's ki breaking off from the group and rapidly approaching her makeshift prison cell, the Gravity Room. Her body moved to face the imposing door of her prison. She placed her hand forward, palm outstretched, to point at the door. What was Carth doing, she wondered. Carth had a plan of some sort; that was obvious. She just wondered if it was a good one.

Vegeta's ki was just outside now. It was showtime.

If Videl had control of her voice, she would've have gasped. An alien feeling was rocking through her hand. The middle of her palm felt like it was being ripped apart, like something was moving under the skin. If she had to guess, it felt like a small hole was opening, and she had a nasty feeling she was right.

The door opened with a hiss and revealed the, scowling, flame-haired Saiyan.

Videl felt her face warp and contort into an ugly sneer and, against her will, she spoke "I'm going to humiliate you, Saiyan scum!". Wow. Carth clearly needed to work on his impression of her.

Vegeta's eyes locked on her outstretched hand. "Go ahead and blast me girlie. An attack from a toaster won't even singe me," he sneered, ending on a boast.

Videl assumed she was going to fire a ki blast, but the day seemed to be full of surprises.

A strange humming sound started to build up, and it seemed to originate... from her hand? It must have something to do with the new hole in her hand, she decided, fervently hoping that she wasn't about to unleash some sort of weird attack that would disintegrate her hand in the process.

Chances were she was overthinking things. After all, Carth still needed her, at least for a little while longer. it was probably some sort of ultimate attack that had malfunctioned. A dark chuckle reached her ears; it seemed Vegeta had reached the same conclusion.

"What's the matter?" he taunted. "Are you out of batteries?" The Saiyan shrugged. "Oh well. Guess It's my turn then." Vegeta roared as his hair changed to gold, his eyes flashed with bright teal colouring, and a vibrant golden aura exploded around him. The sleek floor cracked underneath his white boots as he completed the legendary transformation of his people.

Damnit, did they send him to kill her? That Saiyan had a short fuse and a fiery disposition, and it was a deadly combination in this situation.

She had just gotten used the the strange humming from her hand when it stopped, only to be replaced by an audible clicking. Out of the blue, a strange liquid burst forth from her hand, and it seemed to be on a crash course with Vegeta. The mysterious substance was clear, with a kaleidoscope of colours shifting within, and seemed to be slightly denser than water. That was all she made out before it splashed onto Vegeta's chest. was dead now.

The extra-terrestrial started to advance, his eyes flashing with icy cold wrath. But he only made it two steps before he froze. The strange liquid had begun to harden like glue. Vegeta fell to the ground, his ki plummeting like a stone.

"Wench," Vegeta growled, his gold hair fading back to black. With great effort, he rose to his knees. "What have you done to me?" he demanded.

Videl unwillingly smirked and found herself speaking. "The name's Videl. Oh, and by the way, I may have locked you ki. Oops." She heard herself laugh as she proceeded to kick him, hard, where no man wants to be kicked.

The Saiyan's eyes looked like they were going to bug out of his head, but he didn't make a sound. She had to had to hand it to him that took a lot of mental strength or a lifetime of enduring pain. Perhaps it was a bit of both?

Vegeta closed his eyes, his face contorted in pain. Videl saw his chest rise and fall as he took several deep breaths. But at last, he fixed his eyes on her and gruffly said, "Listen, Videl. Don't do anything stupid... don't be someone's puppet."

Videl was speechless and, from the silence, she assumed Carth was too. Vegeta knew? How did he... Had she...?

"I can see it in your eyes Videl," Vegeta continued, panting. "I saw it all the time in my early life. It's the same expression I saw every time I looked in the mirror. My allies were nothing to me, the last members of my race were nothing but weak cannon fodder." He coughed, and a trickle of blood began to dribble from the corner of his mouth. "My… captor wanted a puppet and for some reason I amused him. To be honest with you, girl..." He paused for a moment as a small cough interrupted him... "if it wasn't for my pride and my pride in my race, I would have become a submissive pet for him. There was moments, dark moments, when even my pride left me."

"Be wary," he concluded. "You may never climb out of the dark pit like I did".

Videl could feel her eyes prickling. It was the oddest feeling, wanting to cry, but being physically unable to. She was touched that Vegeta, who rarely divulged anything about his dark and tragic history, had chosen to reveal himself to her. She doubted that many others had been given a glimpse past his rocky exterior, but it didn't matter. She couldn't tell him, and that hurt her more than anything. He was right, she knew. She knew that the faces of the people Carth had made her kill would haunt her dreams for years to come. But of course, that wasn't what she said.

"My master is my employer and I'm his employee. It's as simple as that. You seem to think I'm being forced to do this. Well, do I have news for you: I want work for Carth. I'm not some sort of sad puppet like you were, and heck, like you still are Vegeta." She heard the stinging words come from her mouth and she hated Carth even more for it.

Vegeta's dark orbs held no emotion and his face was unreadable, but there was recognisable anger in his voice when he spoke. "I can see that you've made up your mind, girl, but I think it's my duty to tell you we will defeat you." It was a promise, not a threat.

She sneered before kneeing him in the gut and watching blood erupt from his mouth. "If you're the strongest one of the bunch, I think I can handle you." She hoisted the Saiyan up by the scruff of his neck, holding him so that they were eye to eye. "Now," she said with a smirk, "show me the Dragon Radar."

* * *

><p>There was no sound but the clack of Videl's shoes, which echoed across the sterilized hallways of Capsule Corporation. "You know 'Geta," Videl found herself speaking, "I feel like we've really bonded today."<p>

There was no response from Vegeta, Carth was a fool if he thought that it would be that easy to get a rise out of the proud man, even Videl knew that. "C'mon be a good little puppet 'Geta," she mocked, "and tell me where the Radar is." When there was no response, Videl kicked him sharply in the ribs, the crack of bone echoing through the hallway. If Videl could have vomited, she would've have.

Vegeta was rising from the ground when Videl grabbed him by the hair and pulled him to his feet. When his face drew level to hers, she backhanded him, blood covering her fingers. For ten minutes Videl had been walking the halls, looking for the Radar, and Vegeta had refused to talk. It seemed that Carth was out of patience and intended the get the information by brute force. Vegeta staggered, but managed not to lose his footing.

"Now now, Vegeta," she said mockingly, "What would your old master say if he knew you weren't cooperating." She sank her fist deep into the Saiyan's gut, laughing as he hemorrhaged up crimson red blood. As he sank to his knees, she leaned in and whispered in his ear, "After all, you were his bitch."

Silence, deadly silence. Vegeta's black eyes stared deep into her cerulean ones. He stared at her with an expression of pure, unadulterated hatred. Videl yearned for him to yell and try to attack, for somehow the tense silence was ten times worse. Suddenly, Videl felt something wet on her face. She lifted her hand to her face, gingerly touching the liquid with her fingertips. It was spit. Blood red, sticky spit.

Videl's voice was icy as she wiped it away. "You will regret that, midget." Vegeta's response was a haughty sneer. In later years what happened next would still wake her up in a cold sweat.

Her power skyrocketed upwards for a few moments and her hand shot forwards as she let out a primal yell. Her fingers went through Vegeta's gut like a knife through butter. For Videl, time seemed to slow, and even the tiniest of sounds were magnified. She heard Vegeta's gasp perfectly and she was sure it would be burned into her memory forever. Their foreheads touched, just for a moment, as Vegeta's legs buckled underneath him. To her immense horror, she continued to push until her entire forearm had sunk into Vegeta's chest and her hand forced itself through his back. Videl let out a small tinkle of laughter before ripping her arm out of the gaping hole.

Blood. So much blood...

Naively, she had hoped for nothing more than a small trickle but instead it was like a fountain, a continuous gush of arterial blood. It stained the pearly white hallway in seconds, pouring down the warrior's legs to form a red puddle around his stained boots. The worst part was that she was directly in it's line of fire and Carth wasn't letting her budge

The warrior's skin was paper-white and his eyes were glazing over. A ghost of a smile was plastered to his face and he whispered, "Coming, Kakarot." The proud Saiyan prince fell facedown, the puddle of blood forming around him growing and growing, in complete contrast to the pearly white hallway.

Videl turned around and began to walk in the direction of the master bedroom. Apparently Carth thought he knew where the Dragon Radar was. As she walked, she grieved for the soul she had taken and wondered how much more blood would be on her hands before this nightmare came to an end.

* * *

><p>Dr. Flappe had done a great job, Gohan decided, nodding with approval as he inspected the device. The crazy doctor had sent the monk with his latest invention, and a jar of marmalade for the road. It had taken the good man only a few hours to shrink his tracking device into something portable. The man was a genius, no doubt. Gohan only wished that the tracker looked a little less... well... like Dr. Flappe had created it. It appeared as though the mad scientist had coerced several tennis balls and a graphing calculator into making an awkward, lumpy lovechild, with a few extra antennae. It was a strange looking creation, but it would tell him where Carth was.<p>

He paused for a minute. Did that even matter anymore? Videl was safe now, sort of. What good was the odd little contraption in his hands? All it could do was lead him to Carth. He felt a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He sort of wanted to see Carth again, and by see, he meant beat to a bloody pulp. Carth needed pay for what he had done to Videl.

Gohan flipped a switch on the strange-looking tracker, and the screen came to life. Sure enough, it had the same read out at the Doctor's larger device. He could start a new scan, see if the android had moved in the last several hours. Or, he thought, hatching a far more satisfying plan, he could just use the old data. Yes, why wait for a new scan? Carth must had chosen his last location for a reason. Perhaps it was a secret base of operations or a prison full of allies to help him against the bastard who'd turned Videl into nothing more than a monster. He felt his blood boil at the thought, and took to the skies.

The tracker pointed him out of town and into the mountains, right where he had been headed before he was interrupted by Bulma's calls. It took him just over an hour to get there, which gave him just over an hour to remember all the atrocities Carth had committed. From the first time he'd met the RabitGrass elite at Capsule Corp., all the man had done was cement his standing as filth, the bottom of the barrel.

"Carth," he bellowed, the name of his hated enemy ringing through the trees. There was no response but the sound of birds, frightened from their nests by the ruckus. "Get out here, you spineless coward!"

His nails dug into his palms as he clenched his fists tightly in anger. Where was that robotic scum? A primal roar of pure rage issued from the back of his throat as his anger mounted. "You coward!" he roared, letting his frustrations out. "Show yourself!"

No answer came from the silent forest. He struggled to calm himself when he saw golden flashes appearing in his aura. He had to keep calm. Carth would want him to go on a mindless rampage through the forest, but Gohan knew better. He noticed blood flowing down from his clenched fists; his nails had pierced his skin in his rage.

His head snapped forward as he noticed a small ki. He had been unable to sense it in the midst of his fury, but now it was clear as day. In the back of his mind, he knew it could be a trap since Carth had no ki, but it was irrelevant; his anger had long since overpowered his reason. Once again, a red hot, consuming anger filled him and he ascended past the first stage of Super Saiyan.

Nearby trees were upwarded and thrown to the wind as he finished the Saiyan's revered transformation. Gohan threw his body into the air, leaving a sizable crater behind him. He blasted through the treeline, approaching his destination. "Carth," he bellowed "prepare yourself!"

Gohan saw something up ahead in the distance. He squinted his teal eyes to try and see it better. Belatedly, he saw that it wasn't a natural formation, and his speed and momentum smashed him through the wall before he could stop. Dust and rubble soared into the air, making it impossible to see anything but the vague outline of the ki's owner.

Time seemed to slow as the dust cleared. "Impossible," he gasped, unwilling to comprehend what his eyes were telling him. "Dr. Brief?"

The old, tired looking scientist was indeed there, in the flesh. The man's marble-white mustache had drooped a little and grown out since the last time Gohan had seen him, which wasn't even long ago. He paled as he realized where that ki signature was coming. It wasn't overly powerful by any measure, but it was definitely Bulma's father. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen Dr. Brief or Mrs. Brief in the past day, not since his raven-haired friend had been kidnapped.

"What are you doing here?" the blue-haired scientist asked. He sounded terrified, Gohan noted. His voice was wavering, and he appeared on the verge of a flood of tears.

"I have a better question," Gohan responded. "Would you mind explaining exactly whyyou are out here, anyway, Dr. Brief?"

The friendliness in his tone was long gone. After witnessing Videl's behavior towards him, the teenaged demi-Saiyan trusted nobody. As far as he was concerned, Dr. Brief was an enemy until otherwise noted.

Gohan kept an intense glare fixated on Bulma's father, as if he was trying to bore a hole through the man with his stare. Dr. Brief was smart, there was no question. If there was anyone intelligent and resourceful enough to change a person's personality, it was the this man. Gohan murmured a swift prayer. _Please don't let him be responsible._

"He kidnapped my wife!" Dr. Brief whispered hoarsely."I-I swear, I... I didn't realize what was going to happen.

As the dust continued to clear, Gohan began to see his surroundings. The sunlight filtering through the treetops illuminated surgical equipment, a medical table here, a defibrillator there.

"You know," the warrior started, "this looks like a pretty clever hideout. That wall was extremely tough to break through. If it weren't for the fact that I'm currently an Ascended Super Saiyan, I doubt I would've managed. That's got to be some sort of reinforced steel made for withstanding enormous energy outputs. It _also _seems," Gohan drawled on, "like the type of material only someone as brilliant as you or your daughter, or perhaps Dr. Gero, would be able to manufacture."

Dr. Brief was now sweating bullets, the perspiration cascading down his forehead. His eyes were darting back and forth throughout the room, looking for something. Despite his nonchalant attitude and the speech he was currently making, Gohan had noticed his straying attention.

Gohan shot forward, pressing his palm to Bulma's father's chest.

"Talk!" There was nothing in his voice that made it seem he demanded anything short of the God honest truth. To punctuate his seriousness, he began to gather a small amount of energy in his hand; not enough to seriously injure the doctor, but enough to cause a moderate amount of discomfort and pain, and to push across the point that he was _very _serious about this. "You want to know what I think? I'm betting you want to answer my previous question because I won't be offering my opinion in words."

"He forced me!" Dr. Brief finally admitted. Upon receiving an arched eyebrow, he continued. "He kidnapped my wife and told me if I didn't perform the surgery he'd kill her! But if I did, not only would he release her, but he would exempt my immediate family from his plans! I didn't have a choice, Gohan! You have to believe me!"

Despite the pulsating amount of power he currently had at his disposal, and the fact that he was, in general, extremely unstable emotionally, Gohan held it in check. The lightning and electricity swarming his body, encasing his aura, shot out, frying some of the technology in the hideout.

"What, exactly, did you do to Videl?" Each word was reinforced by the glowing orb of ki in the warrior's palm multiplying in magnitude and strength. The hairs on Dr. Brief's chest were now singed, his abdomen burning.

"I inserted a mechanical heart into Videl's body," he whimpered, lowering his head in defeat. "I'm so sorry."

Gohan narrowed his eyes at the elder man. That sounded an awfully lot like a euphemism. Considering Carth's status as an android, he didn't like that one bit. "Am I to understand that you turned one of the most important people on the planet... one of the most important people to me ... into an android, Dr. Brief?"

Upon receiving a small nod of confirmation, Gohan's aura erupted. Golden flames consumed the lab, destroying everything in sight.

"In case you were curious, that was a demonstration," the warrior said, answering Dr. Brief's unspoken question. "If you want to live, I'd advise you to tell me everything you know about where Carth might be, what he might be planning right now, and anything you know about who he reports to."

Dr. Brief, whose eyes had gone wide as dinner plates at the revelation he might not survive the day, began talking at lightning speeds. "I d-don't know much!" he insisted. "He's doing this for someone named Coco."

Gohan growled; he already knew that. "What did you hear him say? What was the next move? Give me something useful to prove you're not worthless!"

"I don't know! I swear!" Dr. Brief pleaded. "Please don't kill me!"

Gohan looked on with pity. "I trusted you, Dr. Brief. You betrayed that trust. I can't forgive that."

The elder man's pleas had transformed into pitiful wailing, as tears erupted from his eyes. Gohan appeared remorseful but stayed his course. "I know this will have repercussions if Bulma ever discovers I did this to you, but you deserve it. Hey, look at the bright side, will you?"

Bulma's father turned his tear-stained eyes upward to look directly into Gohan's teal orbs. The youth detected a glimmer of hope in the man's eyes. Gohan couldn't help but smile as he continued. "Since you're so versed in the human heart, you probably know that a person who is revived after having their heart stop for more than a minute has a great chance of being completely brain dead. I'll spare you any chance at that _awful _outcome. I promise."

With that, the ascended Super Saiyan viciously shot his fist forward into the elder doctor's chest, tearing through skin, muscle, and bone. His hand wrapped around the doctor's heart and the battle hardened warrior instantly pulled his hand back at an incredible speed, tearing the doctor's heart out of his body.

A devilish, satisfying smirk found its way to Gohan's face as the lavender head of hair hit the floor immediately after Dr. Brief's limp body.

* * *

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	23. Salt in the Wounds

**This chapter is brought to you by DarkVoid116, Kanotari, and Dying Grin**

Chapter 23:

Salt in the Wounds

That egotistical bastard had been correct after all. After being forced to abandon Vegeta's dying body, Carth had directed her towards the Capsule Corp. heiress' personal bedroom. After searching fruitlessly for a few minutes, she happened upon what her master desired. Despite cognitively knowing the potential repercussions, her body betrayed her mind and removed the Dragon Radar from its drawer.

Carth didn't want her dilly-dallying, so she was forced to quietly find an exit from the compound which didn't pass by any security cameras - the longer the Brief were unaware of the Dragon Radar's absence, the better. Although, if her suspicions were correct, some of the less occupied members of Gohan's gang would've noticed the sharp dropoff in Vegeta's ki.

Once she was out of the compound safely, she took to the air, opting for a wide, roundabout route to Carth's lair in case she was tracked by any of Gohan's acquaintances. Her maniacal boss apparently didn't want her inadvertently leading uninvited guests to his hideout. Once she was out of sight and had laid a false trail to throw off any pursuers, Carth had her turn left and safely land inside the lair.

Once inside, she was reminded once again of the atrocity she had become. Some of the equipment had been destroyed, but behind the wreckage was a mess of robotic parts.

Carth stood in the middle of the room, looking as smug as ever.

"Thanks for the present, dollface," he said, his trademark smirk plastered across his face. He held out his hand expectantly, and though she tried to resist, Videl obediently placed the Dragon Radar into his cold fingers. She desperately wanted to put him in his place, or at least do _something_.

"I said, 'thank you,'" he scoffed. "The least you could do is say, 'you're welcome.'" Then he made a face full of mock surprise. "Oh, that's right. You can't."

He pulled a small remote out of his pocket, holding it up for his unwilling servant to see. "You're remote controlled, and you don't even need batteries," the android sneered.

Videl eyed the device. It was a strange concept, that her every move could be controlled by something no bigger than her hand. She felt the strangest sensation as Carth flicked a switch. It was like the feeling of circulation returning to a place it had been cut off. She cautiously opened her jaw, testing it, and was pleasantly surprised that it obeyed her will.

She smiled. "Go to hell, Carth," she spat. That felt so good to say.

"Tsk, tsk," her captor scolded. "That tongue of yours if going to get you in trouble one of these days. We're going to see my boss. Me, I'd just control you again, but the head honcho? Well let's just say you'd be kissing your tongue good bye."

"You're quite a monster, Carth. If he's worse than you then your boss must be the bottom of the barrel of evil," she scoffed.

Videl swore she saw the RabitGrass lieutenant shudder. Was he scared? She almost laughed despite herself. That was a ridiculous thought to even entertain.

"You have no idea what kind of monster you're dealing with," he sighed. "Come on. Let's get going."

"Going? Where?" she wondered aloud.

"Don't ask questions," Carth barked.

It didn't matter, anyway. Videl recognized the location as soon as they drew near: an upscale bistro named Cavo. It was a high-end establishment for clientele with deep pockets and a love of the avant garde. Her father was fascinated by its ever-changing menu, and had brought Videl here many times before. Heck, she had even met the the owner and posed for pictures with her. Why had Carth brought her here of all places?

Now that they had arrived, Videl was so nervous that she could barely think straight, and that was dangerous. She would need her wits about her tonight. She had control of her voice back for the moment, but one wrong word would have Carth discreetly clicking the 'on' button on that damned device. She dug her nails into her palm, letting the rush of pain clear her thoughts. She had more than Carth to worry about. She was a recognizable public figure, but more importantly, now a wanted criminal. She didn't know how Carth did it, how he could just walk around in public without constantly sweating, worrying that someone would recognize him. It was driving her crazy after less than a day of criminal activity. She couldn't help but notice that her haggard appearance and worn clothes stood out like a sore thumb in the restaurant. Carth was no better; he looked like a flamboyant gangster...

Carth held the door open for her like the perfect gentleman. She watched the hostess smile, buying the RabitGrass elite's sickeningly sweet behavior. It made her want to puke.

"Table for me," Carth informed the hostess. Then he turned to Videl. The girl felt a moment of panic; his face was rapidly approaching hers. It was shock alone that kept her from punching him in the face when he rubbed his nose against hers. "And this little darling too," he continued. He topped the performance off by placing a delicate kiss on her forehead.

The hostess was smiling again. "You two are so adorable," she gushed. "I wish I could find someone like that."

'No you don't,' Videl thought, but she played along. She needed to blend in just as much as Carth did. With a forced smile on her face, she wrapped her arms about his. He chuckled softly, then softly said, "Come on, doll."

The hostess led them to a square table, smack in the middle of the restaurant. As Carth realized where the woman was headed, Videl could feel his arm tensing under her fingers. He patted hands gently, telling her remove them. Though a little puzzled, Videl did as he asked, trying her best to fake looking disappointed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, removing a crisp bill, then approached the hostess.

He leaned in until his mouth was mere centimeters away from her ear. "Say, you wouldn't happen to have somewhere more... private?" he asked, pressing the money into her palm.

The hostess smiled coyly, and then winked. "I have just the place."

This time, the two androids slid into a booth in the corner of the restaurant. The hostess handed them each a menu, and said, "Your server today will be Jenny. She'll be here to take your orders in just a moment. Enjoy your meal."

"Thanks," Carth replied as she walked away.

'Please? Thanks?' Videl scoffed. "Cut the act," she whispered as soon as the hostess was out of earshot.

"That crap keeps me alive," he replied.

"Pity," Videl spat bitterly. She allowed her hatred for Carth to bubble to the surface for a moment, memories of her forceful imprisonment coming to the forefront like a hurricane, whirling through her mind. The pained, betrayed faces of the people of Satan City, the lifeless expression of Vegeta, and the hurt in Gohan's eyes.

Carth reached across the table and took the Satan girl's hands in his own. He smiled placidly. More acting. "This is your last warning," he said, rubbing the back of her hands with his thumbs, "Don't run your mouth. My boss isn't nearly as forgiving as I am."

Videl's smart reply died on her lips; the color had drained out of Carth's face, and he was staring at something behind her. Or someone, apparently.

When Videl looked over her shoulders, she saw a woman who was beautiful by most every standard. She was tall, had a slender, fit figure, brown curly hair, deep blue eyes, much like Videl's own, and carried herself in a very professional manner, her reading glasses situated on the bridge of her nose. This night, she adorned a black skirt which reached almost to her knees, and pitch black high heels.

Videl pursed her lips. There was something very familiar about the woman. The dark-haired woman approached a server with a tray of drinks and tapped her on the shoulder. She said something to the girl, who nodded and smiled. Videl turned back toward Carth. She was willing to bet that that woman had just spoken to Jenny, their server. She was also willing to bet that Jenny would be giving them very ghostlike service today.

Wordlessly, the mysterious woman slipped herself into the booth, seating herself right next to Videl. She didn't even acknowledge another presence at the table. Instead she stared impassively at Carth. Videl watched the android set his jaw and meet her gaze, though she could see a hint of fear in his eyes. The raven-haired teen almost couldn't believe it. This was the person Carth was afraid of? Videl almost laughed as she remembered where she had seen the other woman before; she owned this restaurant. Carth was terrified of a restaurant owner. What was she going to do? Give him food poisoning?

"Hi," she said sweetly. "I think we've met once before. You're the owner here, right?"

The woman ignored her, narrowing her eyes at Carth.

Carth sighed. "Videl, meet Vermilla White."

"Nice to meet you," the teen said politely. Her politeness was not returned.

Vermilla's blue eyes continued to bore into Carth's chocolate ones in an aggressive staring contest. The entrepreneur didn't so much as blink, keeping her cold, calculating gaze locked on the android in the opposite booth. Videl felt a twinge of worry when Carth looked away. She might not know who this Vermilla character was, but if she was important enough in RabitGrass to instill fear into the sinister android seated next to her, she was clearly a force to be reckoned with.

Silence reigned, only punctuated by the rustle of clothing as Carth wiped beads of sweat from his forehead. Videl's fear began to fade as conversation eluded them for five... ten... fifteen minutes. The booths around them began to clear out, one by one, until the restaurant stood empty.

As the door closed behind the last satisfied customers, Vermilla finally spoke. "You're late." Her voice was soft and controlled, but still held a menacing aspect to it. It was clear she was not to be crossed under any circumstances.

Videl watched quietly as the man who had always acted arrogant and confident under any circumstance stumbled a little, fear on his face. If it weren't for the fact she was also somewhat intimidated by Vermilla, she would've smiled victoriously.

"I... we..." he stammered, trying to get his tongue under control. "Traffic."

"Frankly, I don't care what silly excuse you concoct," the woman hissed. It was a disturbing contrast to the placid smile on her face.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

'Sorry?' Videl wondered. First 'please,' then 'thanks.' Carth really was off tonight.

Vermilla clasped her hands in front of her. It reminded Videl of her elementary school principal. At last the businesswoman spoke. "You shouldn't have put us out in the open like that, Mr. Ehrhardt. It was foolish and is simply further evidence you are immature and ill-equipped for a promotion within the organization."

Okay, now Videl was thoroughly confused. What were they talking about?

Carth scoffed. "We have to flaunt what we've got, show off our power, make th- "

"I don't want to hear about power," Vermilla interjected with a sneer. "We have all the power we need of it thanks to our biological enhancements. What I wanted was for you to be discreet and stay under the radar with Ms. Satan. Due to your unplanned little stunt, there were whispers when you two entered my fine establishment. I don't like whispers."

The eerie calmness the businesswoman oozed simply gave the teenage girl a bad feeling. She was a homey woman who was seemed gorgeous and kind on first glance, but now Videl could see that dark, mean-spirited side.

Carth mumbled something that Videl couldn't quite hear. Ms. White, however, narrowed her eyes. Whatever Carth said certainly hadn't pleased her.

"Whispers are good," he said again, a little louder this time. The android took a deep breath, filling his lungs, then exhaled slowly. "Whispers sow fear," he continued, more confident now, "and fear is a powerful tool."

"Fear, Mr. Erhardt, must be a subtle tool. The world feared Commander Red, and look where he ended up: in a shallow grave. People feared him too much, and fear is the reason he is dead. I will not repeat history, Mr. Erhardt. You will conduct yourself with care or you will learn to properly fear me."

Commander Red? Where had Videl heard that name? It sounded extremely familiar, like it'd cluttered her history textbooks throughout middle school and high school.

"Commander Red died because he was an idiot. He got a whole bunch of loyal people killed so he could be a little taller."

"Enough!" Vermilla snapped.

Carth jumped, breathing heavily.

Vermilla found it funny. "Moving right along," she continued with a self-satisfied smile. "What did you find out about the Dragon Balls in your research Carth?" She clicked her fingernails against the wooden tabletop impatiently, waiting for her subordinate to answer.

"The kid doesn't know anything," he answered softly.

"You mean to tell me that after a full year of research, the only thing you have to tell me is that Son Gohan doesn't know where the Dragon Balls are?"

"Yes."

"You couldn't even find me the location of a single Dragon Ball?" she snapped.

"No, ma'am."

Videl's eyes flicked to Carth's pocket. He was lying. He had the Dragon Radar in his pocket. He could find every single one of the Dragon Balls. Why had she risked her hide, and been forced to betray her friends and their families, if he wasn't going to surrender the Dragon Radar? Wasn't that the plan?

"I am very disappointed in you, Carth. I don't want to see you here until after you have all seven of these orbs to deliver to me. Here," she offered, sliding a napkin with an address on it, "is the address you will meet Tavo and Wren at. They will help you look for these Dragon Balls. Ask around, search the old lab, but find them."

"Yes, ma'am," Carth sighed. He sounded so tired, like it was going to be a chore, a long impossible search. Damn... he was a good actor.

"Oh and Mr. Erhardt," Vermilla added. "If I see you again without the Dragon Balls, you can consider your life forfeit."

Carth ground his teeth together. He had more to say, that much was clear, but he pressed his palms to the table and lifted his body out of the booth. He paused for a moment, allowing himself a small smirk. "Pleasure as always... Coco."

...

After making sure everything was fine on the Lookout, Piccolo set off to Capsule Corporation. He wanted to see the recently unveiled events with his own eyes. His white cape fluttered in the air like a demented albino bat, the wind whistled through his ears and his sensitive hearing picked up the sound of voices as he passed over a village far below.

Videl's lack of ki was unsettling to say the least; her personality change, more so. Piccolo just had to hope that Gohan would keep a level head through this unexpected turn of last thing they needed was one of the strongest warriors on the planet going on a rampage.

It had been an idle conversation topic the last few years at Bulma's social gathering of the Z-fighters who was stronger, Vegeta or Gohan? Piccolo hoped they never had to find out. Some of them had began to question Gohan's mental state after living the life of a recluse for so long and wondered, if worst came to worst, would they would they be able to stop him. The truth was that nobody knew, and it always created a tense atmosphere. There was a reason Bulma had banned the topic at future parties.

Thinking of the two Saiyans made Piccolo absent-mindedly check their ki. His surprise almost made him halt mid-air. Gohan's ki was massive. He had powered up to, at the very least, the Super Saiyan level. Vegeta's ki, on the other hand, was rapidly fading. Piccolo knew exactly what that meant: Vegeta was dying. Damn, damn, damn! He blasted forward, going full speed to his destination. He should be at West City in a minute, tops. He had to think rationally. Vegeta's life was on the line. He removed his weighted cape and turban, letting them fall to the ground below. They would only slow him down, and time was of the essence.

A familiar glowing skyline appeared on the horizon of the night sky: West City. Piccolo felt a brief moment of resistance, cursing as he was thrown off course. He had just realized that he had ploughed through something when he heard a yelp behind him, and turned in midair and greeted the other man. "Krillin."

The short man glared at him, rubbing his shoulder. "Jeez, give a guy some warning!"

Piccolo growled. He didn't have time for this. He grabbed the smaller man by the shoulders and pointed him toward Capsule Corp. "Start flying," he ordered.

"What? Where? Why?" Krillin stammered as he tried to keep pace with the alien.

"Check Vegeta's ki."

Krillin visibly paled. "Oh."

The two continued to fly for a few brief seconds until they reached Capsule Corporation. Piccolo knew they didn't have enough time to ring the doorbell but, luckily, he spotted an open window. Good. He didn't want to have to blast a hole in the wall and set off all the alarms.

By some stroke of luck they made it in without setting anything off, a fact that Krillin proclaimed to several various deities was a miracle. They found themselves in the master bedroom. The once extravagant room looked as though it had survived a hurricane. The closet doors hung at odd angles and the clothes inside lay on the floor. The dresser drawers lay on top of the pile, emptied as well. The bed had been stripped to the mattress, then ripped open, filling the room with bits of goose down. Someone was looking for something.

Piccolo bared his teeth. He wanted to know who ransacked the place; he was sure it was important. Vegeta, however, was more important. He tested the bedroom door. It was stuck shut. A quick glance revealed a bobby pin wedged in the lock. Whoever had wrecked the room must have wanted privacy. He nodded; there was no other option. Deaf to Krillin's pleas, he kicked it open.

They sprinted down the maze of hallways and corridors, trying to get closer to the dying Saiyan royal. Krillin led the way; he knew the place better. As they got closer and closer a burning question plagued Piccolo's thoughts, how had this happened in Vegeta's own home? "He should be just around the next corner," he called over his shoulder to Krillin, taking the lead. He didn't need the monk's directions any more. The trail of blood lead the way.

Piccolo turned the corner, Krillin right on his heels, and saw something that wouldn't have looked out of place in a horror movie. As a warrior and being a part of a race that could regrow limbs Piccolo wasn't by nature a squeamish person. Not even he could hide his horror at the scene in front of him. It was nearly impossible to tell that the hallway used to be white instead of red , the ceiling the only giveaway. Vegeta was laying face down in a puddle of blood, his skin a sickly white. Through the gaping hole in his back, the rescuers could see the bottom of Vegeta's lungs expanding and contracting as the Saiyan gasped for breath. But that wasn't the worst part, no. Two words were sloppily written in blood on the wall, and from the trail of blood, it seemed Vegeta had been the writer.

_Girl._

_Radar._

Piccolo had a sinking feeling in his gut. He had a strong suspicion as to who the girl was and what Vegeta had meant by radar. "Krillin," the Namek asked softly, "Where do they keep the Dragon Radar?"

"I think Bulma keeps it in her nightstand," the monk replied with a worried frown. "Why?"

"Grab Vegeta," Piccolo ordered. "He can rest in the bed while we search."

"Rest?! We have to get him to Dr. Brief!" Krillin insisted.

"Just do it!" Piccolo snapped. He paused for a moment, his eyebrows knitting into a grimace. Somewhere in his mind, Vegeta's survival had stopped being top priority. His eyes widened as he realized that he didn't believe the Saiyan could survive. When had he begun to think that?

The ransacked bedroom made sense now. Videl must have searched it for the radar; did she find it?

Krillin sighed heavily, but he did as Piccolo asked. The monk had learned to listen to his Namek friend on the rare occasions when the extraterrestrial lost his cool. Gingerly, he scooped Vegeta up. The Saiyan moaned in pain as the gentle motion caused more blood to gush forth from his wound.

"Keep up Krillin," Piccolo snapped, reaching the end of his tether.

The rest of the hurried journey was spent in silence, besides the occasional grunt from Krillin and mumbled curse. They soon reached the door leading into the master bedroom, it was wide open.

"I really hope Bulma keeps a Senzu around here somewhere," Krillin muttered.

Piccolo didn't dignify the grumbling with an answer. He was too busy searching his memories. He had seen the nightstand's drawer, hadn't he? That's right! They were in the closet, on top of the pile of clothes. He raced over to the heap of garments and hangers and began digging around. Tissues, no. Book, no. Blouse, also no. Please be here somewhere. The radar had to be here somewhere. His fingers closed around a tiny, squishy thing the size of his fingertip. He pulled it out of the pile.

Krillin was placing the dying Vegeta on the bed when Piccolo's fingers closed around a tiny, squishy thing the size of his fingertip. He pulled it out of the pile.

"You found it!" Krillin sighed, relieved, as the Namek handed the healing legume over. The bald man leaned down and opened Vegeta's mouth, dropping the bean inside. Vegeta must have recognized the acrid flavor, for he began chewing slowly. He swallowed with effort, letting a pained moan pass through his lips.

Krillin waited for a moment, looking for some sign that the magical bean was working. He stared intently at the gaping chest wound, willing it to close, but nothing seemed to be happening. He squinted at the wound. From the new perspective, the wound looked a little smaller... maybe. Why wasn't the Senzu working? Weren't they supposed to be instantaneous?

"Piccolo," the other fighter called out, "something on his chest is hindering the Senzu."

As he approached the bed, Piccolo saw that Krillin had torn off the bloody remains of Vegeta's tank top. Krillin's earlier words became clear; there was some sort of translucent, sticky substance on the chiseled chest. The Senzu Bean had made the hole smaller and stopped the bleeding, but the wound hadn't completely healed. Piccolo had never seen a Senzu fail before, but he had a hunch that the reason lay with the mysterious goop on the prince's chest. He stuck a pointed fingernail in the gel, trying to scoop some up for further examination. It wouldn't budge.

"I tried to scrape it off, but it wouldn't even budge with my full strength," Krillin added, nervously.

"We've got bigger problems," Piccolo explained. "I can't find the Dragon Radar. Videl must have taken it, and considering the incident at Satan City and now this," he said, gesturing to Vegeta's extensive injuries, "it is safe to assume that she will not be using it responsibly." He finished on a solemn note before taking a large sigh and ploughing on. "And considering that she was able to defeat Vegeta, she has the potential to be a risk as deadly as Frieza or Cell."

Krillin was quiet for a moment, but he nodded in agreement. There was a tense moment of silence before the ex-monk spoke. "Poor Gohan."

Piccolo agreed; the kid was going to be crushed. "We tell Bulma first. Then we contact Yamcha, Tien... all our allies. We're going to gather the Dragon Balls before Videl does."

The two left the room, with heavy minds and hearts, wondering how high the body count would rise before the nightmare was over.

...

Guilt weighed heavily on his heart, even despite the immense rage he still felt. Many things were starting to fall into place - her lack of ki, her attitude towards him, the fact that she murdered innocent civilians.

If Carth knew what was best for him, he would avoid Gohan at any cost. After dispatching of Dr. Brief for his serious indiscretions, the Super Saiyan would gladly take any opportunity to rip that RabitGrass elite limb by limb.

"Man, Bulma is going to be pissed," he spoke aloud to himself. He felt bad about Dr. Brief to an extent, but if the last seven years had taught him anything, it was that ties to the outside world usually result in hurt, in emotional scarring. He tried to justify his actions to himself, reminding himself that Dr. Brief wasn't exempt from the rules everybody else abided to. "If it were Vegeta or Krillin that betrayed me like that, it wouldn't be any different. I'd really only give a pass to Bulma, Videl, Goten, and Trunks."

Despite himself, he found his teal eyes bristling with unshed tears, his emotions varying wildly like a roller coaster. Sparks of electricity swirled around him, whipping with the wind.

"How could I let my rage get the better of me? I need to calm my emotions," Gohan admitted, powering down.

Immediately, more guilt rose to the pit of his stomach. He killed a man. Despite that man's faults and mistakes, he still killed a person who he considered an acquaintance, a borderline friend. His brother's adoptive grandfather, at that. With his eyes back to their natural charcoal color and his sense sharpened by his new, rational state of mind, he continued flying.

"I need to find Carth, and soon. I have to rescue Videl," he stated firmly, ignoring those internal cries that reminded him some people considered talking to oneself a sign of insanity.

Looking down at the pale face and limp, clearly deceased body in his arms, the half-Saiyan was reminded of the pending confrontation. There was no feasible way to hide the state of the old doctor, what with his chest containing a gaping hole and all. Bulma would immediately recognize that her father was dead, and the blood on his clothes would be a dead giveaway he was at least present at the time of the murder.

Should he be honest? Admit Dr. Brief stained the most famous surname in the world and was somewhat willingly in league with RabitGrass? That was was involved with transforming Videl into a cybernetic abomination?

Or should he say to fuck with it all and lie? Blame it on Carth, say the diabolical, insane villain blasted a hole through Dr. Brief before he could stop him?

Did he have the heart to look his brother's mother-figure dead in the eye and tell a blatant lie? That was the question Gohan was left to contemplate as he zipped through the cold air en route to the dome headquarters of the world's largest corporation.

The grassy fields that sped by beneath him didn't quite fit the gloomy sense of foreboding Gohan had. This was going to be awful. "Man, I'm never going to be able to make this up to her."

Soon enough, the skyline of West City, headlined by the gigantic house built by the man in his arms, began to creep up onto the edge of the horizon. Its skyscrapers, office buildings, and beautiful scenery helped Gohan steel his nerves. What was the worst that could happen, anyway?

"I don't even want to fucking entertain those scenarios," Gohan cursed aloud. "Every time someone says that, something horrible happens."

As Gohan sped through the air, he decided that the easiest way to hide Dr. Brief's body would be to put it in the garden, out of sight. It might seem suspicious - he reckoned Bulma would assume he had something to hide when she discovered that he concealed the doctor's death any longer than necessary. His thought process seemed sound, so Gohan slipped inside the compound silently, masking his ki, and went as fast as he could towards the outdoor sanctuary. Of course, as fast as he could go was actually invisible to the naked eye.

"Man, this is such a mess," the dark-haired teen admonished. He left the doctor's corpse on a bench, in a sleeping pose, and set off to find Bulma. Extending his ki senses, the Son teen found her energy signature located in one of her laboratories. It was a short walk from where he was, so Gohan walked through the doors and into the hallway, quickly finding Bulma.

"Hey, Bulma," he greeted. He'd resolved to keep his nerves in check and deal with her anger as it came. He knew she'd be furious, so it served him best to take things in stride and act collected despite his guilt and grief.

"Hi, Gohan," she replied. "How did it go? More importantly, _where _did you go?" Her sickeningly sweet smile made him want to puke his guts out. She was so innocent in this situation, and most certainly did not deserve the sadness his actions would bring on.

He still hadn't decided which route to take. To lie or to be honest? To keep his friendship with the heiress intact or to permanently burn that bridge? Which was better? Obviously the latter, but would their friendship be able to stand on false legs?

"I went to my grandpa's grave. I just needed some time to myself," he said, deciding to tell the truth at first.

"Okay, that sounds smart. Vegeta went in to talk to Videl a little while ago," she explained, "and I just needed to get away from all this trouble for a few minutes and tinker with an invention. Hopefully my father should be back from wherever he ventured off to soon," she finished, causing a wave of new guilt to crash into Gohan's soul.

"Some other stuff happened," the demi-Saiyan cautiously began. Now was the moment of truth. Which option should he choose? Should he tell her that he murdered her father in cold blood, because of his poor decisions?

Before he had an opportunity to expand upon his vague, mysterious declaration, two young Saiyans burst into the room.

"Mom!" Trunks started, seemingly out of breath. "Something's wrong with grandpa! He's asleep!"

The Brief heiress quirked an eyebrow at that statement. "Oh, my dad is back? I guess he fell asleep after returning. What's the big deal about that?"

Now it was Goten's turn to speak, although when he rose his head to meet Bulma's questioning gaze, his red puffy eyes made the two adults falter. "We can't wake him up! His face is so white too!" he young Son boy cried out. Tears began streaming down his face. "I'm so scared, Mommy."

Gohan visibly flinched when his younger sibling referred to his father's old friend as 'Mommy' yet again, but had more pressing matters to attend to. "Where did your dad go off to, anyway, Bulma?" he asked, trying to keep his voice even. If it wavered at all, the woman would be perceptive enough to pick up on his deception.

"After Videl was kidnapped he said he had some business to attend to, and that my mom was with him already. She came back a little while ago though, and said he told her he would be back a little bit later on." The warrior could tell her voice was quivering and breaking; she was on the verge of tears, probably assuming the worst.

"Goten, Trunks," Gohan addressed them with a soft, comforting voice, "why don't you two go play? Bulma and I will go wake up your grandpa."

The two children went off in search of something fun to do, Goten rubbing the tears out of his eyes as they went.

The two adults made their way towards the observatory, a small pep in their step. Bulma was out in front, nervousness radiating off her in spades. He felt bad, but if he had any chance of salvaging this friendship, he needed to keep his emotions in check, and that included not getting angry at her reaction. It was inevitable at this point; the two half-Saiyan children had inadvertently taken away his decision on how to approach Bulma.

As soon as they reached the garden, all the color drained from his companion's face. She stood rigid, still as a tree. It was almost as if a sorcerer had frozen her to the spot with a spell. Slowly, tears began slipping from her face. "Dad," she whispered, helplessly.

Gohan watched in anguish as she miserably wailed. The last time he regretted the heightened emotions of his Super Saiyan state was the Cell Games, when his arrogance cost his father his life. Now, his anger had cost Dr. Brief his life. Sure, the two situations were not the exact same, what with one person who died being a hero and one being a traitor. The end result of grieving loved ones was the same, though.

"He's," Bulma began between sobs, "definitely dead." Tears streaming down her face, she turned towards Gohan accusingly. Before she spoke, she wiped some tears away with her sleeve, hoping to speak clearly. "What did you know about this, kid?"

His first reaction was to snap back at her and get mad at the accusation to save some face, but then he remembered he'd told her that other stuff had happened while he was away. The logical conclusion she would reach was he had knowledge of the doctor's situation. He had no way out of this now. And so he told her.

"To be honest, Bulma," he started, ignoring her look of betrayal that he didn't deny knowledge of the death, "I used an old inventor's device to find the guy who took Videl. He wasn't there, but your father was, and he admitted to kidnapping Videl. I lost my temper and killed him."

He laid out what happened as a series of events, as facts, in order to make her rational-thinking mind see his side of the story as best she could. Unfortunately, it didn't work.

"You're lying!" she screeched through gritted teeth. "I don't care what you think he did, he would never! How dare you slander his name!" Her outburst finished, she slumped her shoulders, resigned to the fact her father was gone.

"You know kid," she started up again, "despite all of it, everything you've done, all your troubles, I've been supportive," she reprimanded, glaring hatefully at Gohan. "I've always been on your side."

...

"Can you sense him Piccolo?" Krillin asked, his eyes wide and anxious.

"No," the extraterrestrial snapped. "If you can't, then I can't."

Krillin sighed, leaning against the wall in thought. Piccolo did the same. Dr. Brief's ki didn't seem to exist and both warriors didn't think it was a coincidence.

"We should go to Bulma," Krillin broke out after yet another lengthy silence. "She needs to know about Vegeta and she might know something about Dr. Brief."

Piccolo nodded and turned on his heels, striding down another hallway. He was getting sick of the maze of hallways that formed Capsule Corporation. He felt out Earth's resident powerhouses only to discover that Gohan was with Bulma. The mischievous duo of Trunks and Goten were only a hallway away, a fact confirmed when his ears picked up the sound of footsteps approaching.

Presently the two kids turned the corner, Goten pouting and Trunks scowling. Both of their eyes widened when they saw Piccolo and Krillin standing there, Goten's in wonder and Trunks's in shock and disgust. Goten was the first to break the silence. "Why are you guys covered in ketchup?" the boy exclaimed with a grin. "It makes you look silly."

Trunks looked at them warily, seeing the red stains that covered them for what they were: blood. "Not ketchup Goten," the lavender haired boy mumbled, but refused to elaborate when Goten asked what it really was.

Goten grew tired of pestering his brother and announced that he was gonna ask Dad. That single word spurred Piccolo into action. He put his left arm across the space between him and Krillin, blocking the entrance. "Your Dad is... resting." He hated the words as soon as they left his mouth. "Leave him be."

Trunks cerulean eyes widened, darting from the blood on them then back to Piccolo, putting two and two together. He took a step back in shock.

Krillin sighed. "Where is your Grandad guys?"

Goten frowned as if recalling something puzzling. "It's super duper weird," the innocent boy grumbled. "Grandad wouldn't wake up."

Piccolo heard Krillin audibly gasp beside him. "Garden," Trunks said, answering their silent question. "He's in the garden."

The Namek searched out Bulma and Gohan again, sensing their presences together on the far side of the building. Piccolo felt a sinking feeling in his gut. He could only see one reason for his old pupil presence, and it wasn't good. He didn't want to believe that the inventor of the DynoCaps was dead but all evidence pointed to that, the truth would be revealed in a moment. They braced themselves and opened the doors to the garden.

Time seemed to slow down as the door swung shut behind them. There was Bulma kneeling on the ground and on her other side was Gohan standing perfectly still, his face was unreadable but to Piccolo he looked guilty… and in between them was the body.

Piccolo had no clue how to announce their presence, so he simply increased his power. Gohan looked up sharply at his old mentor and, after a tense moment, nodded at him. Bulma turned, startled by the alien's footsteps. Her face was streaked with tears.

The Namek had no time to handle the situation with any tact. "We've got problems," he explained. "Videl stole the Dragon Radar."

There was a moment of silence as everyone processed the information, but it didn't last. Gohan roared with rage, and blasted off without so much as an explanation, smashing a hole through the ceiling as he soared out of sight.

Piccolo cursed and turned to Krillin. "Inform Bulma about Vegeta," he ordered before he flew after the world's saviour. "Gohan!" he called as he chased down the world's savior. "We have to talk!"

The tension in the room was thick as Krillin turned to the heiress and sighed.

"What about Vegeta?" Bulma asked softly. Her voice was raw, wracked by grief and anger. Her eyes were red and puffy, tear lines marred her face. She had only just discovered her father's fate. This news... it was just too cruel.

Krillin took another breath. "Bulma, I'm so sorry," he said, "Vegeta was attacked."

Bulma's hand flew to her mouth, and her eyes widened in shock. "Is he okay?" she murmured.

The bald man nodded. "He's in the master bedroom."

Bulma hurried past him. Krillin could see the tears forming in her eyes. She was fighting to keep it together. He wished he could help, but there was only one thing that could console her now: talking to Vegeta.

The warrior sat down on the grass, mentally exhausted from the night's events. He looked up at the hole in the ceiling, where could see the twinkling stars in the night sky. They were so beautiful, so peaceful. It was such a contrast to the events of the day. Krillin kicked at the ground, sighing. He had wasted enough time. The monk stood up and dusted off his pants before following Bulma. He had a long night ahead of him.

Krillin left the forgotten body of the doctor in the garden behind. The automatic lights shut off behind him, plunging the corpse and the room into darkness.

...

Videl wanted to fight against her feet as Carth willed them forward, but she had too many questions for Carth. She was shocked that she had met Coco before, and even more shocked that Vermilla had seemed like a perfectly normal person during those early encounters. Carth, Bahia, and every other criminal Videl had met had given her a bad feeling, like she was about to be sick to her stomach. Vermilla - no, Coco - had seemed perfectly ordinary. It made Videl wonder how many others had slipped under her radar. And then there was Carth. He had been Coco's loyal lapdog for so long. Why would he choose to lie to her now? Why would he keep the Dragon Radar to himself?

Her feet stopped, and she looked up. She stood outside a coffee shop. The wind whipped around her ankles; no wonder everyone was sitting inside. They were the only two people on the patio. The smell of coffee reached her nostrils. It was then that she realized she hadn't eaten anything since Capsule Corp. that morning. She should be starving. It must be another lovely side effect of her recent surgery. "Can I get something to drink?" Videl asked, hoping that drinking something might make her feel a little human.

"No," Carth replied. He gestured to a metal chair, pulling it away from the table. "Sit," he ordered.

Videl obeyed with a sigh. At least he only wanted her to sit down this time. Carth reached for the umbrella in the middle of the table. Despite the darkness and the wind, he put it up. Videl could feel the umbrella shaking the table every time a gust of wind surged by. "The wind is going to rip that right off the table," Videl said, wondering why Carth would be so foolish. She reached toward the umbrella to close it.

Carth's hand interrupted her, smacking her fingers away. "No touching."

She wrinkled her eyebrows at him.

"You'll mess up the signal," he explained.

Signal? So they were meeting someone, then. It made sense. Why else would someone who didn't need to eat visit a place that sold food?

As if on cue, a skinny waitress with a long, red ponytail approached their table. "Did someone order a large white chocolate mocha, soy milk, with extra whip?" she asked, holding out a steaming cup of coffee.

"Yeah," Carth said, taking the sugary drink. "It's for my boss."

Her eyes widened in response. "I thought that was you," she said with a scowl. "How is our benevolent dictator?"

"I'll tell her you said hi, Wren," Carth said with a smirk.

"On second thought," the woman said, "Leave me out of it. Why are you here, Carth? Last I heard, you were holed up in a cave somewhere. It hasn't done any wonders for your complexion."

"Says the girl so pale she makes vampires jealous," Carth scoffed. "Coco has work for you and your dog. Where is he, anyway? Chasing cars?"

"I'd say he's more interested in laser pointers," Wren quipped back, pointing to a miniscule dot on the table. The little red light moved ever so slightly, never deviating more than a millimeter from Carth's hand.

"Tell him I have something for him to sink his teeth into," Carth ordered.

The redheaded girl rolled her eyes and put brought her watch up to her mouth. "We got a suicide mission, _finally_," she sighed. "Get down here. Don't wanna keep Death waiting."

The red dot disappeared, and thirty seconds later, a man joined them. Videl suddenly understood why Carth thought the newcomer resembled a dog. He was furry, for lack of a better description. His face and neck were covered by a thick black beard, and his arms were blanketed with hair to match. "Carth," he growled.

"Fido," the android returned. "I need you to fetch something for me."

"No." The hulking man-beast crossed his arms over his bulging chest, baring his teeth to add to his menacing appearance.

"Let me rephrase that," Carth continued. "_Coco_ needs you to fetch something for me. Boss's orders."

"Fine," he growled, though he didn't look pleased.

"What are we after?" Wren asked.

"Seven orange balls," Carth explained simply.

The waitress smirked. "Balls? Never figured that's what you of all people would be chasing."

"I really couldn't care less about them," Carth said, examining his fingernails. "Our boss, however, thinks differently."

"Well, Tavo," the red-haired operative said, leaning on her partner's shoulder, "looks like we're already doomed to fail. We don't have anything to go on."

"They're orange. About yay-big," the android interrupted, holding his hands about eight centimeters apart, "Glassy. Have stars in 'em. Go by the name of Dragon Balls."

"Yes, but why does Coco want them?" Wren snapped. "Last time I checked, he wasn't an interior decorator. There has to be something about them."

Carth shrugged. "I try to keep my conversations with the boss short. Gives me a better chance of surviving."

"Where?" Tavo growled.

"That's your job. Find out," Carth ordered.

He snatched up the cup of coffee, considering it carefully and saying, "You know, I think I'll take this to go." He snapped his fingers, like a master summoning his dog. With a heavy sigh, Videl followed the RabitGrass commander.

"Oh, and Wren," he called over his shoulder as they walked away into the night. "Do let me know if you find any."

...

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	24. Into the Dragon's Den

Chapter 24:

Into the Dragon's Den

**This chapter is brought to you by DarkVoid116, Kanotari, and Dying Grin**

* * *

><p>They blasted through the windy sky, aimlessly searching for the Dragon Balls, before settling down on a rocky plateau to discuss the plan.<p>

"Thank Kami we're out of that wind," Wren muttered. "It was impossible to talk in it."

She received a grunt in response from her partner, Tavo. "Damn Carth," she continued, "they could be anywhere on the planet. We could spend the rest of our lives searching and never find one."

She paused momentarily, a thought striking her. How had they not remembered?

"Tao." The one word was enough to make Tavo's head snap up. "He may know."

Wren stood up, dusting the dirt from her legs and grinned. "Last I heard he was extorting someplace called Aru village, let's go."

She blasted off from the rocky plateau, leaving a sizeable crater behind, Tavo right on her heels.

They flew through the air for awhile before she spoke again. "I don't know where exactly the village is, besides the fact it's near the 429 Mountain Area but it's pretty much the only village around not part of the Ox-King's kingdom. It should be a piece of cake."

Tavo grunted and muttered a rare, "Yeah."

"Apparently," the girl began after another minute or two of silence, "some guy called Goku is a sore topic for him. Not sure if there's any truth to it, but let's be careful anyway."

Tavo grunted, opting not to speak like usual.

The rest of the flight was spent in silence but they soon spotted Aru village, or rather it's burned-out shell. The only building not blackened and crumbling was a grand mansion overlooking the village on a nearby hill. "One hundred bucks says he's in the mansion."

Tavo shook his head. "I don't bet when I know I'll lose."

Together they walked down the well worn village path. They could feel eyes on them but when they looked they saw nothing. Something had the locals spooked, badly.

Wren stopped and sighed. "I don't want to walk, and he surely has anti-air defences. Tavo, just fire a flare through a window or something to grab his attention."

Tavo complied, lifting the sniper rifle from his bag and loading a special bullet in it before taking aim. The flare hit its mark, smashing through the large ornate dining room window. Red smoke poured out, shrouding the inside of the room.

Tavo left the path and leaned against a nearby wall. Wren opted to stay on the path, awaiting Tao's imminent arrival.

"Why must you request an audience in such a barbaric way?" The voice was cold and clipped and it came from above her.

She craned her head up, and saw the shape of a man standing on the church roof silhouetted against the moon.

"Tao," she called upwards, recognizing the mercenary. "We need to know how to find the Dragon Balls."

Silence, tense silence, followed before he reached into his robes. "Catch," he murmured, throwing an old VHS tape toward her.

She caught it midair, and squinted to make out its title in the dark. "21st WMAT," she muttered thoughtfully. "Whatever that is..."

"The fighters that use ki," Tao called from above her. "Those are the ones you're looking for."

When Wren looked up to thank him he was already gone. "Crazy old geezer," she muttered under her breath.

They walked to the nearest house and Tavo kicked in the door, a shrill scream greeted the action.

Tavo, in one fluid motion, grabbed the woman before she could strike him with the meat cleaver and pinned her to the ground.

The woman sobbed and struggled weakly, but was unable to break out of Tavo's iron grip. Wren crouched down to see the woman's tearful face and spoke in a quiet voice, like one would use to soothe a scared animal. "What's your name?"

The young woman was silent for a moment but a squeeze from Tavo made her speak, "Pochawompa. My name is Pochawompa."

"Well then Pochawompa," Wren said with a pleasant smile. "My associate and I just need to use your video player, okay?"

Pochawompa nodded, tears streaming down her face. Wren walked into the living room and inserted the tape into the woman's video player while Tavo bound and gagged the girl.

Wren sat down on the springy couch, Tavo joining here a few seconds later, and watched as the ancient tape began to play.

* * *

><p>Yamcha's black eyes snapped open, shaking off his hangover. He had heard something in the apartment.<p>

Soundlessly, he kicked off the duvet and slipped on his shoes. He rose to full height, alert and listening for more sounds.

After a few tense seconds with nothing to show for them, Yamcha was about to go back to bed when he heard something: the sound of shoes on wooden planks. The only room in the apartment that had a wooden planked floor was the living room. He was wearing a pair of white pyjama pants and was shirtless. Not exactly fighting gear.

Another sound. The ex-bandit took a deep breath before stepping into the hallway. The second door on the right led to the living room, the door was ajar as was the front door. He entered the living room and opened his mouth, but his words died in his throat. A goddess stood across from him.

She had smooth, silky, pale skin and wore a skirt and shirt that left little to the imagination. She had fiery red hair, which was tied back in a sloppy ponytail. Her eyes were a kaleidoscope of colours, but seemed to settle on a mesmerising shade of forest green.

His visitor rested her hands on her hips, smirking. That's when he noticed her deadliest assets, two wicked looking daggers strapped to each of her thighs. He dropped into a distinctive stance, sighing, "Not another crazy fan!"

She continued to smirk, a deadly gleam in her eyes. "Desert Bandit Yamcha, batter for the Taitans... and of course protector of Earth during the Saiyan invasion."

The woman's words hung in the air like storm clouds, and Yamcha's arrogance dimmed and withered like a dying flower. Anybody who knew of the planets protectors' wasn't your Average Joe. He growled softly. Puar was asleep a few rooms away, but it seemed that the woman thought they were alone. He planned on keeping it that way.

Suddenly her whole demeanour changed. Her lips parted into the silly smile of a girl in love as she threw herself at him. The redhead ran her hands over his abs and giggled, "I'm your biggest fan, silly!"

He relaxed again, his cheeks red from embarrassment. He was just being paranoid. Crazy fans had broken into his home before, but none had known of the Z-Fighters. She must be a conspiracy theorist to boot, probably completely nuts... though he wouldn't say no to a fling. With a smirk, he pulled her closer and brushed his lips against hers, his five o'clock shadow scratching her chin.

The pleasant moment was abruptly shattered when she kicked him in the balls. His eyes bugged out of his head and a small whimper escaped his throat. He raised a quivering hand, trying to shield himself as she casually pulled out one of her serrated daggers. The former Z-Fighter could only watch as she smiled victoriously and sank the blade deep into his gut.

"Fuck," he gasped, as paroxysms of pain swept through his body. He forced his shaking hands to clench into fists as she pushed the dagger in further and further, laughing her cute little laugh as she did so. The dark-haired warrior saw her eyes close for a split second and he seized the opportunity.

"Wolf Fang Fist!"

His hands smashed into her body again and again, nearly disappearing from view as they picked up momentum. The mysterious woman cried out and fell back under the continuous assault of his fists, until at last she hit the floor with a grunt of pain.

Yamcha's breath was uneven and ragged, and he could feel the blood trickling down his chest from where the dagger still protruded from his flesh. He was so out of it that he failed to notice the red dot hovering over his left kneecap until the shot was fired from the apartment complex across the street.

BANG!

Bone and blood flew out from his busted kneecap, as he fell to the ground. His head spinned and his vision was distorted by the pain.

He made out that the woman had risen to her feet and, after ripping her dagger from his chest, had answered her ringing phone. It was probably the sniper who had shot him. He couldn't make out what the other person was saying, but it was the woman's response that set alarm bells off in his head.

"Another heat-signature in the apartment?" she exclaimed, rolling her eyes and making an exaggerated face of surprise, "Golly gee, I'll get right on it."

"_Puar," _he thought, drifting in and out of consciousness. He could make out the woman twirling both daggers in her fingers as she began to slowly walk towards the hall door. His lifelong friend was going to die in his sleep, feeling safe and sound, knowing that his best buddy was there to protect him. Puar had told him once that was why he could sleep so soundly anywhere; he trusted Yamcha with his own life.

The mental image of his old friend waking up and screaming as the daggers ripped through his fur and skin raced through his mind. Newfound rage bubbled through his veins, giving him the energy and vigour to stand.

"Fuck that!" he roared at the top of his lungs. The woman whirled around in shock, daggers raised. Yamcha poured some ki into his right hand, anticipating the next bullet. He was right.

The sniper fired once again but this time Yamcha raised his hand swiftly to intercept it. His ki melted the piece of fast moving metal just before it tore through his hand.

The woman's eyes widened in shock and she took a step back. That small moment of hesitation was all that was needed for his confidence to grow. He clenched his fists and roared to the heavens above, "You won't touch a hair on his head!"

The former bandit whirled around and threw a ki blast at the windowsill, causing the wall to come crumbling down and blocking the sniper's view of his target. He was running on pure adrenaline now, and he was sure that if he looked at either his knee or his chest, he would falter.

Yamcha grinned savagely at her shocked face. "It's nothing personal, babe."

She growled and dashed towards him, her daggers raised. He adopted an offensive position and announced, "I'm going to finish this in one hit. Blinding Wolf Fang Fist!"

She yelled in response as they clashed. Each had too much at stake to lose.

Blood flowed into his eyes and he staggered backwards, she had cut his forehead open. He tried to wipe it away with his arm but it only spread it around more. He cursed as he listened; his attacker moved silently.

The sniper's next shot came from nowhere, blindsiding him.

Pain swept through him, making his body spasm. His knees buckled underneath him. Blood erupted from his mouth.

Darkness rushed to greet him as he landed on his back.

* * *

><p>"Wake up buddy," the familiar voice of Krillin instructed him gently.<p>

Every nerve ending in his body was screaming in pain. He tried to speak but failed, his throat dry. Then he noticed the limp form of his assailant. The redhead was slumped in a corner, blood dripping from the corners of her mouth. Had he done that?

"I found you unconscious," Krillin explained. "She was like that. What happened? Who is she?"

He finally managed to speak, "Puar?"

Krillin shook his head. "Gone."

Yamcha banged his fist against the wooden floor weakly, knowing that he had truly lost. Puar must have been taken by the sniper. Tears prickled in the corner of his eyes.

"Yamcha! Focus," Krillin reprimanded him. "I checked the woman and she is alive... barely."

Yamcha struggled to raise his head for a better view. Krillin was right. Blood oozed from a wicked gash on her forehead. Her skull must be fractured. He was amazed that she was still breathing.

"If we hurry," the monk continued, "we can heal her at Korin's Tower and you can interrogate her."

"What about you?" Yamcha croaked out.

"Tien and Chiaotzu are still in the dark," Krillin explained.

Without any further ado, Krillin hoisted Yamcha over one shoulder, then walked over to the unconscious woman and hoisted her over his other shoulder.

He ran out the door, being careful to avoid any other residents, and then onto the street. The former monk checked one last time that the woman was secured before shooting off into the air.

* * *

><p>"The universe must hate me," Videl sighed as she stared up at the peak of the mountain, shielding her eyes from the sun. "Are you sure that radar is right?" It was just her luck. The first Dragon Ball would be buried under heaps of leaves in the middle of a freaking <em>dinosaur's <em>nest perched on top of a cliff.

"We'll find out, won't we dollface?" Carth replied, sparing one last glance at the glowing green screen in his hand. Sure enough, the blinking indicator pointed right to the top of the mountain. "Get up there," he barked.

With a heavy sigh, just to remind Carth that she loathed him, Videl took to the air. A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips. At least there was one plus side to her transformation: flying was easier. She did a graceful backflip, reveling in the feel of the wind around her.

"You've had your fun," her boss called from below. "Now get going!"

She nodded and blasted off into the sky, racing for the rocky peak. The cloudless sky was practically begging her to fly faster, and so she obliged. The sun warmed her face as she grew ever closer. It felt so pleasant, so...

A shadow passed over face, sending shivers down her spine. She glanced upward, and sure enough, there wasn't a cloud in the sky... still. She looked around wildly. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

The problem made itself evident when massive claws wrapped themselves about her arms. Videl's eyes snapped upward, where she saw a wall of beige leading to a muscled teal neck topped off with the vicious snapping jaws of a very angry pterodactyl. Her father had told her tales of beasts like this when she was just a little girl, not that she had believed them. She thought they were just another fairy tale, another myth told by adults to make their children behave. As she stared into the creature's red and yellow eyes, she realized exactly how wrong she had been.

The creature uttered a guttural shriek before spreading its teal wings wide and ascending into the sky. She could see their destination up ahead: the dino's nest. Each flap of its feathered appendages took her closer and closer. Videl couldn't help but remember the people her father's stories. They fought valiantly, but in the end, their fates were all the same. A chill ran down her spine as she realized that now it was her turn to be ripped to shreds and fed to the pterodactyl's demon spawn. She closed her eyes, trying not to think of the searing pain that was about to come.

Videl wondered if she should fight back. A chill ran down her spine as she remembered that even the slightest injury might break her concentration and send her hurtling down to Earth. On the other hand, she could be vivisected by the bird-like monster's razor-sharp talons...

Videl made the decision almost instantaneously. She lashed out with her feet, kicking at the dinosaur's clawed feet, while writhing from side to side in an attempt to free her arms. The creature's talons ripped into her flesh, holding on to its slipping prey. The bird let out a squawk as her boot connected with its stomach. Its grip loosened ever so slightly, but that was all Videl needed. With a burst of strength, she ripped one arm free. She then threw all of her weight onto the bony foot that still held her other arm. Her fingers dug into the beast's flesh, trying to pry its talons off her, but it was no use. The pterodactyl was far stronger than her, and she dared not use too much ki; she would never be able to survive the fall.

Suddenly, the beast's claws opened and Videl found herself plunging toward the ground. She wondered why it had dropped her, but forced herself to worry about it later. Instead, she closed her eyes and tried to remember everything Gohan had ever taught her about ki. She could hear his voice telling her, "completely relax your mind."

Relax? She wanted to scream, but what use was that. Videl took a deep breath and did her very best. As her mind approached Nirvana, she became aware of the tension in her muscles, her rapid breathing, and the blood pouring from her lacerated arms, but she also could feel her center, her essence. It was from there that she drew her power, from there that she began to call on her ki to save her.

Her back connected with something solid, and she reeled in pain.

"Nice of you to drop in, Sunshine," the obstacle teased. "I was just introducing our avian friend to my fist."

"Carth," Videl realized dryly. He had caught her, saved her. Boy, that was backwards.

"I see you met Mr. Pterodactyl," he observed.

Videl rolled her eyes as she shoved Carth away, taking flight herself. Sure, now it was easy.

"Classy fellow, isn't he?" Carth remarked as they descended to the ground. "Excellent host."

"Let's just get back up there before he decides to serve hors d'oeuvres," Videl sighed.

"We'll have to get past security first," Carth agreed. "That ought to be fun, won't it, peach?"

She knew just what he meant. Flying was out of the question if they wanted to remain undetected, and she for one wasn't eager for Round 2 with the oversized bird.

Videl glanced upward, noting the steep cliff that stood between her and the Dragon Ball. After a day of running through the mountains, her body ached. Despite her muscles' screams of protest, she wrapped her fingers around the jagged rocks and began the ascent, just as Carth commanded. Stealth was paramount now that they knew what they were up against. For several minutes, she climbed soundlessly next to her fellow android, but the pain just grew worse and worse. As she reached for the next handhold, she realized why. Her fingers were bleeding from the coarse rock.

"I should have brought the simpletons with me," Carth muttered under his breath. Videl could see the blood caked underneath his fingernails. It was good to know that he was suffering too, even if it didn't take away her own pain.

Refocusing her attention to the daunting task at hand, she continued climbing. The edge of that intimidating pterodactyl's nest was emerging into view. What the hell _was _that thing, anyway? None of her senseis ever taught her how to defend herself from fifteen-foot tall flying monsters where she was from! Even if her father had relayed the tale of Mount Paozu pterodactyls when she was a kid, it still hardly prepared oneself to actually face down a creature of that stature. If it weren't for Gohan's teachings, she would've been completely defenseless.

Come to think of it, she was might be somewhat near Gohan's house. The area looked vaguely familiar to her. Videl allowed the newly formed stray thoughts of her former friend, and what she'd been forced to do and say to him, to distract herself from the nagging pain eating away at her fingertips.

"Don't die on me, pet," Carth panted in between breaths. Videl snapped out of her reverie and realized the android was a full body's length above her.

Steeling her resolve, she pushed her body to its limits and exerted even more effort, slowly closing the gap between her and her kidnapper. If she had to put up with His Most Exalted Assholeness, the least she could do was to put him to shame. Plus, he still owed her answers!

"If we're going to have to tolerate one another's presence," she began, "could you at least tell me why you lied to Coco about the Dragon Balls?"

He laughed. "The same reason I don't play poker with my hand face up. Secrets keep me in the game."

"Poker, he says," Videl grumbled under her breath. "I ask you about information that could keep me alive and you respond with a joke?!" she screamed, unleashing all of her mounting frustration. From that infuriating prehistoric artifact to her increasingly bleak situation, nothing was going her way these days.

"Are you trying to bring the bird swooping down on us?" the android hissed.

Videl's eyes widened as she realized her mistake, remembering why they were climbing this accursed rock in the first place. "Oh," she whispered. "Sorry."

"Besides," Carth sighed, returning to their earlier conversation, "if I was joking, I'd be laughing. Never let Coco hold all the cards."

Understanding flashed across Videl's features. He _wasn't _intentionally trying to fuck with her mind; he was just using an analogy to convey his answer. "So what's your Ace of Spades?" she asked, playing his game.

He raised an eyebrow and gestured to the top of the cliff with a bloody hand, as if to say, 'What do you think we're doing this for?'

She felt like a moron now. His master plan couldn't be more obvious. "What are you going to use them for?" she ventured to ask, holding her voice steady. Although a little nervous for his reply, she needed to know what Gohan and his friends would be up against in the end. If someone miraculously managed to rescue her from this hellish nightmare, at least she could relay some intel. Plus, her curiosity needed to be sated.

"That would be telling, darling. Remember our little chat about secrets?"

Videl glared daggers at her mechanical boss. "I remember your sad attempt to mock me with a joke about playing poker, if that's what you're referring to."

"It wasn't a- never mind," he sighed. "I'm going to use them for a juggling act in my new travelling circus. What do you think I'm going to wish for, genius? I thought you were smarter than that."

"Wish for? W-what?" Videl sputtered. Then she began laughing. "Oh, now I know you're joking! What, is a magical blue giant genie going to explode from a golden lamp and request your wish?"

He regarded her carefully for a moment. "You really don't know, do you?" he asked with no trace of sarcasm. "You have no idea what we're gathering."

"Oh, so there is a purpose? I just figured Coco's grasp on your balls was too tight so you needed replacements."

"Here I am, handing you the Ace of Spades, and you think I'm joking," he laughed before sparing a glance toward the peak; it wouldn't be long now.

Before she responded, Videl followed the movement of his eyes, taking note that they were soon going to have to deal with the pterodactyl again. "Let's say I believe you, for argument's sake. What then? Are you gonna get your own blow-up mannequin for when you grow tired of me?"

"Whatever I want, doll. Money, power, immortality... a pair of earplugs so I don't have to hear your incessant whining. The usual."

"Those earplugs better come in a package. So how do these things work? Humor me, since you're forcing me to confront Smiley up there?"

"Well when a mommy dragon and a daddy dragon love each other very much... oh you didn't mean _those_ Dragon Balls."

"Oh, so you've seen dragons having sex. That explains why you're so standoffish. I understand now," Videl quipped back.

"I've already given you the Ace of Spades. You know what the Dragon Balls do. I'm sure as hell not giving you a royal flush and letting you know that much, no matter how pretty your poker face is."

Swallowing her revulsion at the 'pretty' comment, Videl thought about taking another approach to cracking the Carth code. "Look at it this way: if I help you find these orange balls, I'm going to find out eventually anyway. If you don't tell me now, I'll just keep whining. So just tell me. Your move."

"Tell you what, doll face. I'll give you a hands on demonstration when you give me the last Dragon Ball."

"I'm not much of a hands on learner, unfortunately. I like to have information told to me up front," Videl countered. Quickly assessing how close they were to that avian albatross, she realized there were only five minutes worth of climbing from the peak of the mountain.

He held a finger up to his lips, then pointed upwards. "Rustling," he murmured, almost inaudibly.

Inclining her head up towards the next, Videl heard what Carth was referencing. It appeared that the Dragon Ball's pesky bodyguard was moving around, causing a small ruckus. "I get it," she hissed quietly to her captor. "However, don't think we're done talking about Coco's stranglehold on your nuts." Satisfied that she'd won that particular conversation, she refocused her attention on acquiring that orange sphere.

As the duo quickly approached the apex of the mountain, all conversation had ceased. Only now did Videl remember the overwhelming pain coursing through her limbs. Free from the distraction of witty banter, her body's protests were hard to miss. She grasped a rock and hoisted herself up another foot, listening to Carth's labored breaths trailing just behind her. Just yards above her, green leaves poked off the edge of the nest. They were finally there.

As two heads poked above the grassy expanse, the giant teal dinosaur could be seen relaxing, its wings harmlessly flapping. It hardly resembled the beast that'd mercilessly attacked her earlier.

Out of the corner of her eye, a bright orange sparkle steered her attention away from the menace in the furnace. It even had a single star on its surface. She held her tongue for now, inquisitively glancing towards Carth.

Now that they had a clean path to the Dragon Ball and the element of surprise, her captor seemed to be throwing caution to the wolves. It all happened too fast for her to react. The android who'd previously been at her side was streaking through the air, staying low to the ground. Within seconds, the one-star Dragon Ball was firmly within his grasp.

Everything would've been perfect, except Carth's little display of speed inadvertently drew the attention of their teal friend. Carth was prepared this time, though. Before Videl could shout her protest, she saw the android warrior. With the orange sphere in hand, he unleashed a concentrated charge of ki point blank into the dinosaur's chest.

As quick as it has happened, two loud screams rang through the forest, in succession. The first was easily identified as their prehistoric buddy's pained, tortuous cries.

The second, however, made Videl's blood freeze over.

"TOH-TOH!"

* * *

><p>He heard his former mentor's pleas fully well as he raced across the skies, but simply did not care. His friend, a person who he had <em>trusted<em>, had the Dragon Radar and apparently evil intentions. Sure, he now knew Carth had transformed her being into a mechanical abomination, but that did very little to lessen the pain he was experiencing.

First things first, Gohan needed to acquire a Dragon Ball. If he could get his hands on at least one orange sphere, RabitGrass couldn't enact their evil plans.

Relaxing, the Saiyan allowed his energy to flow throughout his body uninhibited. He summoned the necessary amount of ki, then transformed into the first stage of Super Saiyan. Immediately, a distinguishable amount of distance began to grow between Piccolo and himself. While the Namekian was able to keep up with him in his base form, the enhanced speed of this powered-up mode was simply too much. Gohan could only hope his friend wouldn't be able to tell where he was headed. The last thing he wanted were visitors, especially at _this _place, of all places.

As he continued his beeline across the evening sky, mountains and hillsides flashed across his peripheral vision. Eventually, he came to a stop above his old home. He hadn't known back then, since he flew off the handle as soon as the blast went through his mother's stomach, but his group of friends had decided the safest way to protect the Dragon Balls would be to place two of them in locations they themselves knew about. Hoarding all of the balls would be a bad plan, but distributing the risk a little seemed like a nice idea.

Bulma had spearheaded the movement among their circle of friends to honor his mother's memory but putting a Dragon Ball with her in the grave.

As he landed on the soft grass out by Mount Paozu, his aura flickering wildly, his emotions began to overcome him. He remembered spending time with Videl in this house, taking her after that debacle as Saiya in Satan City. He remembered the feeling of helplessness when a bullet struck his newfound younger brother. Most of all, he remembered the seven years of rage and despair that followed his mother's assassination.

If Piccolo knew his intentions - and considering he'd blasted off wordlessly after hearing about a stolen Dragon Radar, he probably did - then he didn't have much time before his ex-mentor arrived.

No doubt, a conversation about morality would ensue from there. It was ironic, really; the demonic spawn of the creature that terrorized the world for years lecturing the son of Earth's greatest hero on ethics and morality. Still though, in light of Dr. Brief' death at his hands and his uncontrollable temper, it probably wasn't the worst idea to make sure he was calm before acting. He always remembered Piccolo's lectures on thinking with his head on straight back when the Namekian was a more consistent figurehead in his life. He dwelled on his thoughts for a few more minutes before he heard the sound of another being touching down on the soft grass nearby.

"Gohan."

It was a simply acknowledgment of his presence from the warrior, but it at least kept their meeting from being overly awkward.

"Piccolo," the Super Saiyan greeted tersely. "Come to lecture me? I'm not in the mood. For all we know, Videl and her puppetmaster have already rounded up the other five Dragon Balls. I've stopped underestimating their abilities." It was true. He'd underestimated the strength - both in number and power per individual - of RabitGrass' forces back when they first invaded Capsule Corp. He also failed to protect Goten, thinking nothing could hurt his little Saiyan companion. Heck... his mother, grandfather, Videl, Goten, Dr. Brief... This organization was turning their entire clique against one another.

"I'm not here to lecture you, Kid. I just want to make sure your head is clear. If you still want to crush Carth's bones after our little walk, then by all means, go ahead."

That caught Gohan by surprise. The former guardian of this planet giving his blessing for seemingly unnecessary violence?

"There's more," Piccolo continued, throwing Gohan for a mini-loop.

'_I should have guessed._'

"Videl somehow managed to incapacitate Vegeta and wound him very badly. He's lucky to be alive, Saiyan genes included."

What? She didn't have anywhere near that sort of strength! Even accounting for a power up that Dr. Brief may have given her during the procedure, it didn't add up! Sure, she had a previous base understanding of ki, unlike Seventeen or Eighteen, but Dr. Brief also wasn't malicious like Dr. Gero. Even with all his misguided shortcomings, Gohan never once believed Dr. Brief meant to dismantle their group.

"It didn't appear to be done by strength alone, if I had to say. Just be careful, Kid."

Suddenly, Gohan felt an overbearing sense of dread well up inside of him. It was the same feeling he had whenever something bad was about to happen. The last time this sensation had ran down his spine, Goten had been shot. Even so, he couldn't prevent Bahia's shot from hitting its target. It is, however, part of what helped him save Videl when Coco's goons shot her.

Just like that, the Super Saiyan felt a familiar, nearby ki plummet to nothing, followed by a very recognizable voice screaming out in immeasurable pain.

"TOH-TOH!"

Gohan shot off towards his old friend's nest immediately, feeling Piccolo right on his tail. The old pterodactyl's abode was scarcely two miles from his childhood home, so he got there in a matter of seconds.

When Gohan arrived, he found a horrifying scene. The creature's chest was badly burned, smoking still. His face was the picture of pure agony. There was no doubt in Gohan's mind; Toh-Toh was either dead or would be shortly. There was no saving him at this point. He had failed a friend. Again.

Sure, he hadn't played with his prehistoric friend since well before King Yemma snatched his parents away, thanks to an overgrown grasshopper and two teenage menaces stealing his attention, but his personal philosophy was 'once a friend, always a friend.'

Then another thought hit him. The whole reason for separating the Dragon Balls, but keeping two in known locations, was for this exact scenario. Someone unwanted might get a hold of a radar, but Gohan or Vegeta or someone similarly fast would be able to gather the two around Mount Paozu.

One in buried alongside Son Chi Chi.

One in Toh-toh's nest, guarded by their neighborhood watch-pterodactyl.

It all abruptly fell into place. He couldn't sense any ki signatures nearby, but this had to be the work of RabitGrass. Whether or not it was Videl's handiwork remained up for debate, but Gohan guessed it was a combined "effort" of her and her puppetmaster. Most importantly, there was a distinct lack of a bright orange sphere in his friend's nest.

Piccolo had landed behind him a minute ago, Gohan noted, but had yet to comment. He assumed that the elder man was just digesting the information as much as he was. "It's Carth's fault. I just know it."

"Take a deep breath, Gohan."

"No!" he snapped. "They have been one step ahead of us the entire time! The public demonstration Bulma told me about over the phone was probably just a ploy to get someone inside Capsule Corp. without massive suspicion. They took Toh-toh's life and the Dragon Ball. Don't you get it, Piccolo?"

The Namek frowned a little at how heated Gohan's speech had become, but the teenage warrior paid it no heed. He instead was focused on plotting.

"We need to get one step ahead of _them, _this time. We have an advantage they couldn't have anticipate; neither Dr. Brief nor Videl knew of the Dragon Ball hidden in my mom's grave. We're finally going to get a leg up on these bastards."

* * *

><p><strong>For those who are interested, we are a group of collaborative writers whose combine our efforts to bring you stories such as this one. We're an open group, meaning that anyone can apply to join. Feel free to check out our forums, our facebook page, and perhaps apply to join the group via the link on our profile. It's a great opportunity for those who would like to better their own writing abilities and exchange skills of the trade with fellow authors, or to simply be a part of a writing community.<strong>

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	25. Easy as Pie

Chapter 25: Easy as Pie

**Brought to you by DarkVoid116, Kanotari, and Dying Grin**

Videl savored the wind on her face. Flying was an experience that just never got old for her, and today she had flown a long way - halfway around the world. Beneath, she could see grassy plains, a handful of dome homes and a swift, coursing river. Beside her, Carth motioned downward, beginning the ascent.

Videl sighed softly with relief. She was exhausted, and after flying for more than a few hours, it was only to be expected. She couldn't help but smile as her toes sank into the loamy soil. She'd missed the great outdoors.

Surveying her surroundings, she noticed some more details about where they had landed. The flow of the river might have been strong, but that wasn't stopping some of the locals - bears, in fact - from fishing at the edge. That handful also appeared to be bigger than she previously thought; her best guess was about eight or nine small houses spread out across the fields.

"I've been here for under a minute, and I already want to burn it to the ground," Carth sighed, rubbing his temples. "Let's just finish up here and get the hell out."

"What? Can't handle some friendly bears catching fish?" Videl countered.

"No!" he snapped. "It's like walking through a nature documentary. It's too peaceful... makes my skin crawl."

"You watch nature documentaries?" she asked, stifling a laugh at the thought of her captor sitting and watching giraffes on a prairie.

"Every once in a while, I like to relax with a nice glass of brandy and watch lions devour their prey."

"Whatever," Videl dismissed. "If you're so bored of this place already, why don't you check the radar? We need to know where to look from here."

Carth pulled the handheld device out of his pocket and glanced quickly at the screen. He gestured for Videl to follow him. They had only been walking for a few minutes when Carth swore. "Oh you've got to be kidding me," he muttered. He moved to throw the radar into the rushing water that blocked their path, but thought better of it at the last minute and secreted it away once more.

"Hmm," Videl commented, observing silently from his side. "You can fly for hours all the way here but jumping over a little river is what gets you worked up?"

"I can lift a car over my head, fly around the world, but swimming..."

"Oh," she answered in realization. "Well don't look at me; I never liked swimming."

"Time to throw out your bikinis then, dollface. Water and circuits don't mix."

Videl frowned as the consequences of being transformed into an android showered her with a heavy dose of reality. "So where do we go from here, genius? Neither of us can retrieve this Dragon Ball..."

"Easy, pet," he answered with a smirk. "We find someone who can."

"You make it sound as easy as baking a damn pie," Videl grumbled.

"That's because it is, once you stop worrying about that pesky conscience. Allow me to demonstrate." He gestured toward the nearest of the houses. "Step into my kitchen."

"You're so lame sometimes," Videl sighed. "Let's get this crap over with."

He walked up the domed building with just the slightest spring in his step. It was clear that he was enjoying this, which boded ill for the people who lived inside. "Let's start by opening the refrigerator," he narrated as he kicked the wooden door squarely above the handle. Splinters shot off in all directions as the door swung open with a violent bang.

Inside, terrified looks adorning their faces, sat two anthropomorphic rabbits. Carth shook his head, sighing, and strolled up to the taller of the two, grabbing him by his throat. "Now remember, it is important to use fresh ingredients," he called over the rabbit's shrieks of terror. He carried the squalling creature out the door and towards the river.

"No, we must season the dish with liberal amounts of fear," he casually informed Videl, still narrating his fictional cooking show. He turned his attention to the rabbit, who he held over the river. The pitiful creature's back legs kicked at the iron grip around his jugular, dipping into the water.

"Now, Mr. Cottontail - can I call you Peter?" The rabbit emitted a soft gurgle, which Carth took as permission. "Pete, I need you to fetch something for me - an orange ball - from the bottom of the river. I'd fetch it myself, but it's the darndest thing; I can't swim. Do this for me, and as a reward, I won't cook you and your family for dinner tonight. Can you do that for me, Petey?" The terrified critter nodded fervently. Carth smiled wickedly as he unclasped his fingers, letting his captive plunge into the icy water without a word of warning. The creature broke the surface moments later, spluttering and gasping for air.

"Oh and Pete," Carth called from the shore. "You'd best hurry. I'm preheating the oven."

With a self-satisfied smirk, the android strolled over to Videl. "See, love? Easy as pie."

In response, she just rolled her eyes. "Fifteen minutes and an one boring monologue later, yes, it's easy as pie, I suppose." Regardless, their friend "Peter" was diving for the Dragon Ball, so Videl peered over the edge of the grass, gazing into the crystal blue river below. "Do you seriously think he'll find it? I wouldn't want to burn the pie."

"It'll turn out a lovely golden brown, sunshine. Don't you fret."

Frowning, she turned back towards Carth to gauge his reaction; he actually seemed unconcerned. She felt a little bad for their furry pal, but hopefully he'd find their target quickly. Even if he did, she didn't think being submerged in a river was healthy for a rabbit's fur.

As she stood there, silently observing, she could hear Carth move a little, turning towards the village. Spinning around to get a glimpse at whatever had caught his attention, a large, looming presence entered her line of view. He was tall - not as hulking as the pterodactyl from Mount Paozu, but still huge - and was both dark green and navy blue in color. His wings comprised the navy blue parts of him, while his chest was a slime green shade.

"I hope you saved room for dessert," Carth said to Videl, before turning to face the newcomer.

"Dessert? You may look strong, but nobody messes with my prey. I'll just use my all-powerful Giru Giru Gum!"

That made Videl place her hands over her mouth to prevent the giggles from escaping. "So, that dessert you were talking about... You got us a bubble-gum flavored cupcake, didn't you? I just knew you were a softie inside," she remarked, directing her words at Carth.

"What can I say? I'm a just a big sweetheart," he said sarcastically.

"And you, bird brain," Carth continued, rounding on the new arrival, "I'm going to make you swallow that gum."

"Really now, hotshot?" the creature taunted. "You think you can defeat me, the mighty Giran?" With that, the beast now known as Giran charged forward, his arm extended, trying to strike Carth. It was not meant to be, however, for the mechanical menace simply lifted an open palm, stopping the pterodactyl's punch in its place.

"Why yes. I think I can," Carth said with a wicked grin.

Videl could see Giran's pupils dilate and rose an eyebrow, wondering what was happening. She got her answer when Carth released the fist from his grasps, causing their new friend to howl in pain. Now it all came into focus. Giran was in excruciating pain from having his bones crushed...

"My, what a weak handshake," Carth sighed. "And you know what they say about people with weak handshakes..."

Giran's face lit up in rage at his opponent's disrespect. The beast leaped backwards, putting sizeable distance between the two fighters. "You've tested my patience!" he bellowed. "Now, face the consequences!" Suddenly, a beam of light blue ki erupted from his mouth, encasing Carth. It surrounded the android in a pulsing glow, and caused Giran to smirk triumphantly. "Ha! Nobody can escape my indestructible Guru Guru Gum! You're finished!"

Videl had to smile at the predicament they were now in. It was truly funny if this guy thought he'd defeat them by creating some purple gum to wrap around her captor's body. "Hey Carth," she started, "it looks like you're in a pretty sticky situation here, right?" She truly enjoyed the look of contempt thrown her way.

"Sorry to pop your bubble, bird brain," Carth said as he extended his index finger and shattered the purple prison. "Actually no. No, I'm not."

Giran's facial expression was simply priceless; his jaw dropped, his eyes widened, and his hands were shaking, though that was barely noticeable. "How can you do that?! Only two other people have ever broken through my secret weapon!"

"Hey!" Videl interrupted. "I thought you said your attack was indestructible. How can it be perfect if people have bested it before?"

"Were your bones indestructible too?" Carth laughed.

"Is there some point to all this, Giran?" Videl questioned. "We have a hare underwater that we need to be getting back to."

"Maybe our furry friend would like some company," the android thought aloud. He seized Giran by the scruff of his scaly neck and carried him over to the river. Below the surface, the unfortunate rabbit was still visible, desperately searching for the Dragon Ball. "Orange ball. Find it, and I don't kill you," Carth explained tersely. "Enjoy your swim," he added as he dropped the creature into the rushing current.

Videl walked over to where the RabitGrass elite stood and surveyed the situation. The first unfortunate creature they'd thrown into the water was desperately searching every crevice and corner of the river floor, while Giran was aimlessly trying to swim away. Both androids casually watched his efforts get thwarted by the current flowing opposing his strokes. It seemed their navy blue pterodactyl friend wasn't much on brains, though he was very persistent. It took him several minutes to paddle upstream to a place where he could climb out of the frigid water.

Carth gave a heavy sigh and briskly walked toward the shivering avian. The pterodactyl's wings, soaked by the water, became a cumbersome disadvantage as he tried to claw his way up the steep bank. Unfortunately for Giran, Carth stood at the top of the embankment, waiting with a malicious look. The moment a blue hand reached over the ledge, the android kicked it off, sending Giran tumbling back into the swirling depths.

Videl felt a little bad for the guy; despite his arrogance, Giran didn't seem all _that _bad. Carth didn't seem in the giving mood, though. Giran was destined to spend the next however long submerged in this river, until either he or their furry hare helper found the next Dagon Ball. "Do we really need a second searcher, Carth? You're cooking demonstration probably suffices, I think," she explained.

"What's better: a show with ten viewers, or ten million?" he asked. "Excuse me while I go increase our viewership. I'm getting the rest of the rabbits. The sooner we leave this hellishly peaceful town, the better."

Videl sighed in exasperation. Carth really wasn't a patient person, was he? Forcing an entire town to do their bidding was _definitely _the way to keep a low profile. All they needed was for some random villager to cause a bigger scene and make this entire ordeal blow up. "Wow," she thought aloud, once the other android was out of earshot. "I'm starting to think like a criminal wanting to cover their tracks. That's bad." Deciding to abandon her pessimistic train of thought, the raven-haired girl peered down into the river. Giran hadn't emerged a second time, so hopefully he would be obedient. With any luck, one of them would find the Dragon Ball quickly before Carth killed someone.

The android returned with an armful of baby squirrels, their parents chasing after with teary eyes. One by one, he dropped the tiny critters into the water. The mother squirrel let out a pitiful wail. "My babies can't swim," she cried.

"Carth," Videl spoke up, "there's no point in doing this. If the kid squirrels can't swim they won't help us. You're just making a scene. You're not even adding anything to your oven." She really just needed an excuse to stop what would probably amount to senseless killing.

"So?" he asked simply.

"Killing the squirrels would ruin the pie you've been concocting. It'll be like making a delicious apple pie and then pouring pumpkins on top. It just ruins it."

"What is it with you and pies?" Carth demanded. "Plus, I like it when my food gets a little bit messy."

Videl cringed, knowing she was about to hate herself for saying it. "How about you instead use the children to force the adults into working hard to find the Dragon Ball? This current conversation isn't speeding anything along..."

Carth glanced between the drowning squirrels and their parents several times, thinking his next move through. Videl began to worry that the children would drown before the android made up his mind. Finally, he sighed. "I suppose you have a point," he conceded. The mechanical menace took a step back, allowing the elder squirrels to pass.

Videl desperately wanted to go help the young critters, but knew that her new body did not agree with water too well. She just hoped the parents recognized that she and her boss weren't going to save them, and did so before it was too late. Speaking out might be the most prudent course of action, but testing Carth's patience probably wasn't the greatest idea. She already spoke out to save the squirrels in the first place.

The mother squirrel dove in first, pulling one of her children out of the turbulent waters. The father wasn't far behind. She passed the sopping wet creature to her husband, who cradled it against his chest, trying to soften its cries. As the waves raged, it became increasingly difficult for the mother to reach her babies, but eventually she saved them all.

As the mother tossed the last squalling infant onto the shore, she gave a shriek of terror. Carth held the smallest child, a little girl, in his arms, rocking her gently. "Shhh!" he whispered, chastising the mother. "You'll wake her."

The father too arrived in the shallows, but the mother placed a hand over his mouth.

"Cute kid you have," Carth continued, his voice a soothing croon. "She deserves to grow up, fat and happy, with two parents who love her very much. I'd hate to deprive her of that."

The father squirrel removed his wife's hand, clasping it firmly. "We'll do anything," he promised.

"I'll trade you one orange ball for one furry child," Carth said with a smirk. "You know, funny story. I threw a little bird-thing in the water a couple minutes ago. Said I'd let him live if he gave me... Well now isn't that interesting? I promised him his life for that little orange ball. And here I am, promising you your kiddo's life for the same thing."

The squirrels looked at each other as they realized the meaning behind their attacker's words.

"Don't worry. Kiddo here is safe with me," the android promised, clutching the shaking child to his chest. "Until I get that ball, that is. Bird-brain brings me the ball first and this cute little cherub is getting pitched off a waterfall, yes you are," he cooed, touching a finger to the tiny squirrel's nose.

"Oh and then there was that long-eared fellow I chucked in the lake..." he remembered belatedly, but the pair of squirrels were already deep beneath the surface.

"Well, that was something," Videl commented offhandedly. "Between all of them, hopefully someone can find that Dragon Ball." She then mosied her way over to the river's edge, observing how the squirrels raced through the water, looking for their goal. She could see their long tails dancing in the current as they peered through the bladderwort and duckweeds. Downstream, "Peter" the rabbit darted about like a fish, his ears acting like furry fins. The pterosaur was nowhere to be seen. Videl hoped that he was still alive.

Carth lounged against a tree, arms crossed over his chest, looking bored as sin. With a little smile, Videl copied her boss and reclined on the grass. The android may be a murderous bastard, but it looked as though her influence had curbed his violent tendencies, at least for now. He seemed content to let the animals flounder about in the river until they produced the Dragon Ball.

Videl sat up slightly and gazed up at the sky, pondering her thoughts. Assuming someone eventually rescued her, would she really want to never see Carth again? Technically he was her kidnapper, and was a bit evil, but was he truly _that _bad? He seemed misunderstood. It was funny in a way. Thinking back to her crime fighting days in Satan City, how many of the criminals she apprehended were just misguided, a potentially good hearted soul tainted by the cruelties of the world?

Then she snorted. Carth? Misunderstood? His idea of fun probably consisted of seeing how far he could kick puppies. Videl spared a sidelong glance for the android. Okay, maybe he wasn't that bad. He hadn't murdered the baby squirrels, had he? On second thought, he _had_ temporarily enslaved their parents. So he still had some room for improvement, Videl decided, but Carth wasn't as terrible of a person as she initially thought. He wasn't pure evil; he was simply self-interested... and impatient... and violent... and... well, a gigantic dick sometimes. Most of the time, even. The girl ran her fingers through her hair, heaving a sigh. She had no idea what to think. The fact she was even considering Carth as anything more than an egotistical bastard was most surprising.

Carth's cold, intense eyes locked with Videl's inquisitive ones. "See something you like?" he asked, smiling slyly.

"Not in your direction," Videl quipped back, happy to get confirmation her kidnapper was still the same.

"Sure," the android replied in a tone that said he clearly didn't believe her. "You just keep telling yourself that, Dollface."

"Well, if that's how you always respond to rejection, it's no wonder you've become a kidnapper."

"My mom wanted me to be a doctor, but I just had to follow my heart," he sighed, hand across his brow in a fake dramatic gesture.

She crossed her arms, smirking widely. "Were you following your heart when you decided to have it surgically removed?"

"What can I say? It bothered me whenever I tried to follow my dreams and snapped someone's neck or, I don't know, slowly tortured them to insanity. Kind of an itchy feeling. Very annoying."

"So, to summarize, you had an itch you couldn't scratch, so you quite literally gave yourself a heart of steel."

"What's your excuse, sugar?" he sneered. "What was so painful in your perfect little life that you let your heart get ripped out?"

"My father turned out to be the biggest fraud in the history of our planet. What did your dad do? Besides unfortunately donate his sperm to your creation?"

"What a coincidence. My father was a conman too. Nice guy, until you had money."

"Oh, mine too. It wasn't quite the same. He was a nice guy until _he _had money," Videl reflected. She hadn't spend too much time pondering Mr. Satan lately, but the conversation with Carth afforded her the rare opportunity.

Carth's eyes fell to the ground as he turned his back on the raven-haired girl. Videl could swear that she heard him mutter something as he walked toward the river. "So was I."

That caught Videl's attention. Carth hadn't really talked about his personal history much. "What do you mean?"

He ignored the question, instead continuing toward the riverbank, where a strange scene was unfolding. The matron of the squirrel family was on top of the pterodactyl, biting furiously at his wings. Giran held the orange orb out of the squirrel's reach, shrieking, "You won't get this from me! I'm the mighty Giran! You can't get this from me!"

"Yes, yes. The mighty Giran," Carth said dismissively, waving his hand at the blue and green dinosaur. "We've heard. In fact, I think the whole continent has heard."

The squabbling animals ignored Carth, both struggling for the ball which promised them survival.

"He'll kill my babies," the squirrel shrieked through a mouthful of scales.

"Yes," the android agreed, forcing himself in between the brawling parties, placing one hand on the Giran's chest and the other on the furry critter's shoulder. The little squirrel still struggled for the Dragon Ball through Carth's iron grip, desperately reaching for the orb clutched in Giran's claws.

"Girls, girls! You're both pretty," Carth finally cried when he got bored of the conflict. "Calm yourselves, or neither of you is winning this pageant."

"Pageant!" Giran cried indignantly. "How dare you!"

"Oh can it, Miss Universe," Carth snaps. "Enough games. This is a competition! Who found my orb?"

The squirrel and dinosaur claimed credit at exactly the same time. Videl noticed what the animals clearly did not; Carth's eyes were growing narrower by the second, and his lips were vanishing into a thin line. He was pissed, and getting more so.

"Enough!" he roared at last. "Tell me who, or no one gets to live. Daddy-o, you got an answer for me? How about you, Petey?" Carth paused for a minute, realizing the rabbit was nowhere in sight. He swore loudly.

From where she was standing, Videl could hear every word in the conversation and was overjoyed that the hare had managed to pull off a magical escape right under their noses. "He's probably long gone, Carth!" she called out. "Just forget about him."

"Probably right," the mechanical menace sighed. After a deep breath, his usual volume and mocking tone returned. "Unfortunately for you," he snapped as he looked at each of the gathered animals in turn, "you are not long gone, but you will be unless I get some damn answers. One last time: who found the ball?"

At last, the father squirrel spoke. He glanced at Giran, and at his wife, knowing that his answer could spell death for either of them. "My wife," he whispered at last. His voice shook with each word.

"Why don't I believe you?" Carth hissed. "Oh, that's right, because I'll kill your children if the bird found ball. And he'll just lie to save his own skin, isn't that right?" he added, turning toward the pterodactyl.

Giran looked like a deer in headlights. "I did find the ball, though," he croaked out. "I'm not lying." Lost was the bird's bravado.

"Sure you're not," Carth groaned. "There's no way to know who's telling the truth, is there? Everyone here has a stake in the matter. I really should just kill you all. It's only fair."

That wasn't exactly Videl's ideal situation. "Now, now, Carth. Are you not a man of your word? That wasn't what you originally promised our little swimmers." It was a feeble attempt to buy time and think of a better plan, but it adequately served its purpose.

"My little swimmers have their own goals, thank you," the android snapped. "And let's not make this about my honor, sweetness."

"Just figure out who found our Dragon Ball and stop thinking with your own balls," Videl shot back.

"Where's the fun in that? Oh right, in the violence." He cracked his knuckles menacingly as he turned back to the woodland creatures. "Let me tell you a story of a wise king. One day, two women brought a squalling infant before him, both claiming to be the child's mother. The king, in his great wisdom, told the women that he would simply cut the child in half. It was the only fair solution after all. Just as he was about to bring his sword down on the child's head, one of the women cried out and renounced her claim to the bouncing baby boy. The king smiled; that was his plan all along. He knew the child's real mother would never let anything happen to her precious offspring." Carth patted the mother squirrel on the shoulder in what was supposed to be a comforting manner. All it did was make her shiver in fear. "You see, it was the king's wisdom that allowed a fair solution. Now I don't like to compare myself to royalty, but unlike our good king, I'm not wise or fair. I'm going to chop the baby in half." He held a hand up to the squirrels before they could protest. "Figuratively," he promised, picking up the tiniest of the squirrel children and cradling it gently in his arms. The two parents relaxed, but their relief was premature.

Carth cupped the tiny child in his hand, a peaceful smile on his face. Then, before its parents could react, the android closed his hand with an overabundance of strength. Blood oozed out between his fingertips after a series of sickening cracks. "The rest of your children may live," he declared. Then he rounded on the gira. "And you were bargaining with your life, weren't you bird brain?"

Giran was frozen in place after the ruthless display of violence, and stood there, silently gawking. Carth grabbed the reptilian by the beak and moved its head up and down. "Yes, you were," the android corrected. "I can't really take part of your life, so here's what I'm going to do."

He moved with superhuman speed, and another crunch filled the air, followed by Giran's pained shrieks. The pterodactyl's wing hung limply by his side, thin bones protruding from the leathery skin at unnatural angles. Carth paused for a moment, hand on his chin, and considered his handiwork. "Lacks symmetry," he muttered. There was one more crack, and one more scream, then then android smiled. "Much better. Now that's art!"

Videl couldn't bare to watch the android's ferocious behaviour any longer, instead opting to shield her eyes from the vicious beating in front of her. She caught one last look at Carth before her hands blocked the world from her view. He wore a shit-eating grin. It looked like it was the happiest day of his life. She felt the bile rise in her throat as her stomach tried to rebel. Only minutes ago, she had tried to view Carth as a person. Now, she could only view him as a monster.

Krillin sped through the midday sky, no signs of civilization below him. The rocky mountainside jutted from the earth ahead of him. He could feel Tien's pulsating ki, obviously in the midst of his daily training. Tien was much stronger than he had been during the Cell Games. Good. They would need all the strength they could muster as their enemies grew. Videl had defeated Vegeta, which was no small feat, and Carth had beaten them all when he assaulted Capsule Corp. Then there was Coco...

Krillin raised his ki and landed beside a waterfall. He could already see Tien descending, floating gracefully down the rocks and landing soundlessly beside the monk. "Krillin," the triclops greeted, inclining his head in a polite nod.

The monk nodded in return, but there was no time for pleasantries. "We have a problem Tien," he blurted. "A big one."

Tien frowned, all three eyes narrowing in displeasure. "What?" he sighed.

"Androids," Krillin admitted. "We have an android problem."

The taller man pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "How strong?"

"Well Videl, one of Gohan's friends, managed to take down Vegeta and to make a long story short we need to gather as many Dragon Balls as possible."

Tien scowled at the mention of Goku's son. "How is Gohan wrapped up in this?"

"I don't really know," Krillin said with a shrug, "but they just turned one of his friends into an android."

After a moment, the triclops asked, "Is he on our side?"

"C'mon! Of course he is!" Krillin insisted. "It's Gohan! What kind of question is that?"

"A valid one!" Tien snapped. "He saw his mother get shot down! He then fled out into the wilderness and we didn't hear a word for seven years. I don't know whether or not he is mentally stable!"

Krilin glared at the taller man before speaking. "He may not be the boy he was back then, but he is still Goku's son. Do you honestly think he has it in him to join the androids?"

After a few seconds of tense silence, Tien managed a small smile. "I'm sorry Krillin, that was out of line. Of course he's with us."

Krillin grinned ruefully in response. "I'm sorry for snapping." He really was, especially since the other fighter made a good point. The monk knew Gohan would never join Carth or Coco; he'd sooner kill them. On the other hand, Krillin never expected the demi-Saiyan to murder Dr. Brief. The drive for revenge made Gohan dangerous and unpredictable.

Tien cleared his throat. "Back to business. Did you bring two radars or are we searching together?"

Krillin's smile vanished and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "... I knew I'd forgotten something," he admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Videl took the radar at Bulma's and I kinda didn't look for a second one."

The triclops stared at the monk incredulously, his jaw hanging open as he struggled for the words to describe his ally's immense oversight.

"Tien, you okay?" Krillin wondered aloud when he forced himself to speak, suppressing the urge to wave his hand in front of his old friend's face.

Krillin was pushed back as Tien shot up into the sky, flying full speed towards Capsule Corporation. Still blushing out of shame, Krillin followed him.

Her eyes fluttered open as she groaned. The first thing she noted was that, miraculously, all of her mortal wounds were completely healed. Next, her surroundings came into focus. This was most definitely _not _Yamcha's apartment.

Where was she?

To the best of her ability, all she could make out was a light-beige wall, the bed she currently resided on, and the very much awake, also-fully-healed form of their desert bandit target glaring heatedly at her.

The combination of a foreign location and the man she'd just tried to murder being in her presence spooked her a little. It also prompted a few thoughts to swirl in her mind. Would dying really be that bad? Her life of servitude in RabitGrass wasn't as all-fulfilling as she'd thought it would be. Perhaps death would be the escape she'd always craved but could never realize.

Her pessimistic train of thought was interrupted as her apparent captor began speaking. "The sniper, where is he?"

What was he talking about? If he'd knocked her out, hadn't he captured Tavo as well? "What do you mean?" she bit back, with intentional venom lacing her words. He might've been a particularly annoying comrade, but she at least mildly cared about Tavo's welfare.

"Don't play dumb with me," the desert bandit retorted, his words icy. "Where is he?"

She stared back dumbly at Yamcha, absorbing what he'd just said. He really didn't know where Tavo was? Had he escaped? "Why do you get to ask all the questions, hot shot?" she questioned coolly. "What exactly happened after you nearly killed me, anyway? That's what I want to know."

"You're in no position to ask questions," her interrogator said, scowling. "Last chance, where is the sniper?"

Deciding to test how far he would actually go, she pondered her next move. After all, when one felt they had nothing left to offer in this life, why worry about pissing off a super-powered warrior? At least, that was her rationale. "Well, considering he's not here, and you knocked me out before I had any opportunity to talk to him, how should I know? Now, can you kindly indulge me in my curiosities?" she asked with a sickly sweet voice, deciding to toy with Yamcha.

"Fuck you too," the warrior snapped, "but since we're just wasting time, can you be useful and get in contact with him now?"

"What happens if I say no? You have me at your mercy as it is? You gonna kill me?" she inquired, flashing a toothy smile meant to mock one of Earth's supposed strongest. "By the way, where are we anyway? Is this where you take your victims before you kill them?" Wow, she was having too much fun with this whole carefree style. She should've stopped giving a shit about her life long ago.

"I'm not a stone cold killer like you," Yamcha growled. "Where's your hideout?"

Wren decided maybe she'd toyed around with Yamcha long enough, and decided to humor at least one of his questions. "My comrade and I don't get the privilege of a hideout, unfortunately." Hopefully satiating one of his curiosities would mean she could continue mocking him a bit longer now.

"So you have higher-ups," Yamcha deduced. "Would he have gone to one of them?"

"That, sir, is for me to know and you to find out." In truth, she had no idea. Tavo wasn't exactly well known for listening to anyone other than her and Coco, but it was very unlikely he'd go straight to Coco after this ordeal.

Yamcha clenched his fists in anger. "Would he have gone to a higher-up, yes or no?!"

"As cool as it would be, my name isn't Psychic Wren. How should I know?" She knew that this game was on its last legs, but it was just too much fun to randomly abandon. Yamcha was growing irritated but was keeping his cool well enough given the circumstances. How he reacted from here would dictate whether he earned her respect.

"You're being awfully sassy for a prisoner," Yamcha hissed, clenching his fists tighter. It was getting harder and harder to keep calm and level-headed.

"You're being awfully mean for someone wanting kindness and answers," the redhead spat back.

Yamcha snorted in derision. "A lesson on morals from the woman who broke into my apartment and stabbed me?"

"A lesson is a lesson, as far as I'm concerned."

Yamcha groaned in frustration. "We're not the bad guys here. Just tell me, and we'll let you go unharmed after everything is sorted out."

"I really don't know what you want me to say," she said with a shrug. "Tavo doesn't think like me. We're comrades, but we're very different people. Trying to determine what he'd do is like trying to guess where lightning will strike," she smoothly lied.

"I think you're lying," the Z-fighter snapped. "You must have been doing missions together for a long time. There is no way that you didn't have place to fall back to if everything went south.

"I don't think about scenarios that might occur if things go south," Wren replied, smirking.

"And why not?" Yamcha questioned. "Does your boss not tolerate failure?"

"What kind of boss tolerates failure? Would it have been okay if you or Son Goku tolerated failure? What if Tien Shinhan tolerated failure? Nobody in their right mind tolerates failure. They may accept they can't always succeed, but that's different from tolerating failure. You always play to win."

Yamcha shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "So you weren't bluffing when you mentioned the Z-Fighters. You know about everyone, not just me."

"When you're in my position," the redhead began, "and your boss asks you to deliver, you deliver. No questions asked. No matter the cost."

Yamcha's eyes gleamed as he spoke. "That's another thing. Back in my apartment, were you just going to ask me general questions or was there something you were after in particular?"

Wren realized she might be giving up too much information, and decided it was time to entirely shut down. "Nah," she started, "I was going to ask you out on a date."

Yamcha's fists shook as he yelled, "I gave you a chance. You'll regret not telling me when someone like Piccolo or Vegeta is standing here in my place!"

Yamcha threw a punch at the wall. The bricks crumbled beneath his fist as Yamcha took his frustrations out on the inanimate object. He stormed out of the room and blasted off, leaving Wren to consider the entire situation.

Was the bandit in the right? Might she be in the wrong? She had a lot on her mind now and apparently plenty of time to mull over her thoughts...

**For those who are interested, we are a group of collaborative writers whose combine our efforts to bring you stories such as this one. We're an open group, meaning that anyone can apply to join. Feel free to check out our forums, our facebook page, and perhaps apply to join the group via the link on our profile. It's a great opportunity for those who would like to better their own writing abilities and exchange skills of the trade with fellow authors, or to simply be a part of a writing community.**

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	26. Found

Chapter 26: Found

**Brought to you by Kanotari, DarkVoid116 and Dying Grin**

Carth glanced down at the glowing radar in his hand. "Looks like the trip wasn't for nothing, dollface." He showed her the screen, where a bright blip flashed over a nearby village. "Looks like Dragon Balls are on sale today: two for one."

"Where are the others?" Videl inquired. Perhaps if she could somehow convince Carth to stall for time and go after a different Dragon Ball, it could prolong their excursion just long enough to allow Gohan time to plot her rescue. She knew him well enough to know he had _something _up his sleeve.

The android eyed the girl suspiciously. "Nowhere near here. Why?"

"Why should we rush this process? If you really want to avoid Coco's wrath shouldn't you give off the impression you don't quite know what you're doing? 'Nowhere near here' seems like exactly where we should be," the Satan girl explained.

"So sweet of you to worry about me," the villain hissed with a roll of his eyes. "I think I'd rather get all my eggs in one basket before Coco realizes they're gone and sends her whole organization after me."

"You don't want to try and stave off that eventual outcome? I would think deflecting suspicion would be the best course of action," Videl tried to reason. If nothing else, she needed to plant this seed in Carth's head and let it blossom.

"She's going to notice eventually. The damn shrew notices everything eventually."

"You raise some decent points, but if Coco has something that can track Dragon Balls, drawing out the search could lengthen your leash," the teen stated. "Just because she didn't have a way to track them before doesn't mean the dog and the redhead haven't found a way like we have."

Carth suddenly grinned widely. "You just want to spend more time with me. Is that it, sunshine?"

"Whatever it takes to get you to see my thought process," she conceded.

"Well if we're going to make flying into a regular thing, we might as well fly in style," Carth mused, rubbing his chin. He shoved a hand into his front pocket and pulled out a capsule. "This was supposed to be my backup plan, but what can I say? I'm impatient." He then tossed the capsule in the air, stepping back and letting it hit the ground. A cloud of smoke appeared, quickly dissipating to reveal a jet. "I'll be in the back, getting my beauty rest. Try not to crash the thing."

With that, the android climbed into the aircraft, sitting in the back as he said he would. The raven-haired teen muttered under her breath unintelligibly as she sat in the driver's seat and turned the ignition, prompting the jet to roar to life. The vehicle taxied across the meadow, leaving the ground with a gentle prompt from the amateur pilot. The autopilot helped out, deploying the slats and flaps as they ascended to their cruising altitude, but it needed help in return. The device's glowing green screen flashed.

"Carth?" Videl called tentatively. "It's asking for a destination. Where are we going?"

"The coordinates are A-4-1," he called from his comfortable chair. "Hope you packed your parka, dollface."

Videl's eyebrows knitted together in confusion, but she understood the cryptic words once she punched in the coordinates. The autopilot showed her a map, their route in white. The highlighted pathway ended abruptly in cluster of snowy mountains, barely a blip on the detailed map. Suddenly, she found herself wishing for a sweater. With the jet's course set in stone, Videl allowed herself to relax. Carth had slipped into a rest state, which meant she could allow her mind to wander.

This was going to be a long trip, after all. The thought of grabbing for the remote crossed her mind, especially if her kidnapper was actually sleeping. She might not be able to immediately make a move towards escape, but if she played her cards right, she could obtain the upper hand. With that in mind, Videl gingerly reached around, her hand inching towards her captor's thigh pocket. She could see the remote poking out of his pants pocket, right there for the taking. One finger, then two, grasped the controller, before Videl carefully removed it. She had it in her possession now; she had an advantage for the first time in this long-winded chess game.

With an uncontrollable smile, the girl dropped into another one of the plane's first-class recliners and buckled in for their ten-hour cross-continental flight. The seat she chose was right next to a window, where she could see the sun peeking through the clouds. Fields and hills raced beneath them as the jet streamed past, effortlessly stripping miles from their journey. As they travelled, they passed a few familiar sights to Videl, most notably Parsley City, the large metropolis around the center of the world, about halfway into the trip.

The city was bustling with people on every corner, though they were barely discernable from the considerable height the jet was travelling at.

A while later, Videl spotted a gigantic crater in the middle of farmlands. It was a large contrast to the grassy fields in the surrounding areas, and she couldn't even imagine what might have caused such devastation. Her only idea was maybe Gohan or one of his friends got carried away with their incredible powers, but even that seemed farfetched. Plus, if it was true, it scared her immensely.

The teen found herself engrossed in the clouds. She watched breathlessly as they floated along, seeming to defy gravity, swirling beneath the wings of the jet as they blasted through them. Her imagination formed patterns and shapes in the constantly morphing skies. Before she knew it, her eyes had drifted shut. They opened with a start several hours later when she became aware of a soft beeping from the jet's controls. Carth was already in the pilot's seat. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she went to join him. Judging from the mountains rearing outside windshield, Videl guessed they were close to their destination.

The android spared a glance for Videl. "Get back to your seat," he ordered, his voice betraying the nerves. "Strap in. We're in for ride."

Not wanting to disobey Carth considering he rarely acted this way, she immediately strapped herself in. The android flicked a switch to take their vehicle off autopilot then began descending, beginning a shallow dive towards the base of the mountain. Videl clutched the plush armrests as the nose of the plane pitched downward. Maybe it was her imagination, but she felt like the plane was shaking. The winds howling outside the cabin convinced the teen that she wasn't feeling things. The harsh mountain winds pressed against the windows, rattling them. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Videl called, struggling to make her voice audible among the din of the landing plane.

"Do you doubt me?" Carth shouted back. His garish grin was just a distraction, a show. It was obvious; the android was nervous. His expression flickered for the briefest of moments as the plane dropped several feet, but it was back to normal almost before Videl noticed the change.

The ground was visible through the front window now. The raven-haired girl could see that Carth was aiming for an open patch of snow. Her heart leapt in her chest as she realized this village didn't have a runway. Her mind raced as she tried to decide if she should leap from the plane and fly away before Carth ran them both into the ground. The winds were whipping the plane about like a kite in a hurricane, and the new android knew that something with her weight would never make it to the ground. She heard a mechanical hiss as the landing gear was released, and a series of clanks as the flaps deployed. The ground was approaching rapidly now; she braced herself.

The world became white as the landing gear scraped a snow bank, shooting snowflakes into the sky. The jet continued to gradually slow down as it slid across the ground, attempting to cause friction and further the stopping process. Videl's entire being shook as the landing gear began to do its job and the plane began skidding to a stop. It wasn't pretty, but her maniacal boss had somehow kept her alive and in one piece.

Relief was the first thing Videl felt. She'd never had such a near death experience that wasn't due to crime fighting, and that terrified her. When she was out in the field, arresting criminals, she had full control over the situation, or at least close to it. Carth flying a plane? She couldn't do anything there. At least it was over and done with, now. They could look for this Dragon Ball now.

"Thank you for choosing Carth airlines," the android laughed, sinking into the pilot's seat in relief. This time, his actions were genuine, Videl decided. It was one of the few authentic smiles she'd ever seen from Carth. It almost made him handsome, but his personality cured that.

"At least I got to fly first class on this shithole of a jet," Videl quipped.

"Be grateful. This is worlds better than my last plane."

"I don't even want to know," she muttered under her breath.

Carth smiled at her, one of those smug half-smiles he loved so much, then shook his head. "You really don't want to know." He pulled the Dragon Radar out of his back pocket and spared it a quick glance, jerking his head toward the cluster of huts he loosely described as a town. "This way."

Videl followed him as he began walking through the deep snow, trudging along in the general direction of a huge brick tower and the accompanying small village. As they got closer, it became apparent that their object of desire was in the town and not the lofty spire jutting into the sky, which made their job easier. Carth would just torture some person for information if he had to.

Their radar pointed towards the furthest house away, so the pair made a beeline for the light pink dome, fully equipped with brown wooden doors and clear, glass windows. Carth, he of incredible finesse, barged right into the home, not caring who resided inside. Videl took more care to be polite, apologizing for her captor's rudeness as she also entered through the door. "Sorry!"

Two men were waiting inside the door. One, a hulking man mottled with scars, crouched protectively in front of the other, an eccentric looking old man. The elderly man clutched a two-pronged fork of some kind, made more disturbing by the fact that it emitted sparks at random intervals.

"You'll have to try harder than that to... to..." The aged man's bushy eyebrows knitted together as Videl's words reached him. He removed his spectacles, squinting at the girl as he rubbed the oversized round lenses on his soiled white shirt. "Are you apologizing for kidnapping me?"

"No. I believe she's apologizing for robbing you," Carth sneered. "The Dragon Ball. Now!"

"Didn't your mother teach you manners?" the old man scolded from behind his companion's back, repositioning his glasses on the bridge of his nose. He blinked twice as the world slipped into focus. When he saw Videl's hurt look, he added, "Oh not you dear. Him!" He pointed an accusatory finger at his android assailant.

"You're telling me!" Videl laughed. "Carth is the most insufferable, infuriat-"

"Carth!" the grey-haired man yelped, his eyes wide with fear. His graying afro, which refused to be contained by his hat or by gravity, seemed to somehow gain volume as he sprinted into the next room, shouting, "Be careful, Eighter! He's a bad egg!"

"No, no, no, no!" Videl murmured as the old man toddled into the next room, his hair jiggling with each step. "We don't want to hurt you!"

"Speak for yourself," Carth interjected. "Do you know who that is? Go fetch!"

With a sigh, Videl took off after the mystery man, following his bright yellow jacket as it vanished around the corner. She skidded to a stop on the tile floor, looking around for the curious man. The girl expected him to hide, to vanish into some panic room or out the door and into the wilderness. She never anticipated seeing him perched at his kitchen table, sipping from a delicate china teacup, pinky aloft.

"One lump or two, dear?" he asked with a placid smile unbefitting of a man in his dire situation. His toes dangled several inches from the floor, so he swung them back and forth like a schoolgirl sitting in the cafeteria.

Videl stopped in her tracks, eyeing him suspiciously. "Poisoned, isn't it?"

"I have manners, unlike your friend." He paused for a sip of what smelled like hot darjeeling tea. "Hasn't he heard of knocking?"

"He's too impatient for it," Videl sighed. She watched as the older man took a bite of toast covered in sweet orange marmalade, and wondered when she had last eaten. Though her mechanical body no longer needed as much food to sustain itself, she could feel her stomach churning with anticipation at the crunch of bread.

"Sit down, dearie!" her unexpected host insisted, shoving a chair away from the table for her. "Kettle's still hot, if you'd like to join me."

Videl found herself sinking into a floral cushion. The aged man pushed a plate of hot buttered toast in front of her, and she attacked it with relish.

"I see that Carth isn't feeding you very well," the man remarked with a soft tut. He poured an extra dollop of marmalade on her piece of toast, until the orange gel dripped off the sides.

"He forgets we have to eat," Videl managed between mouthfuls.

"Ah yes. You generate enough power for all those flashy bells and whistles, but your body still needs energy to keep your heart beating and your blood flowing."

The girl felt the delicious snack congeal in her throat, and forced it down nervously. "Bells and whistles?" she asked with feigned innocence.

"If we're going to play games, dearie, I'd much prefer to play hopscotch. What number are you?"

"Number?" Videl parroted with genuine confusion this time.

"Who are you? Eighteen was a girl, if I remember right. Or was it Seventeen? They both had such long hair..."

"I'm not a number!" the teen insisted. "I'm just Videl! Videl Satan!"

"Videl!" the man gasped. "She's one bad egg- wait no. I'm thinking of someone else. I've never heard of you, dearie. Which means you've never heard of me..." The old man jumped from his chair with the athleticism of someone half his age. "Jeepers creepers! Where are my manners today? I am Dr. Filius Flappe." He bowed with a flourish of his hand.

The girl stifled a giggle; the good doctor appeared to have lost his comb in the back of his voluminous hair. "Nice to meet you, Doctor," she managed.

"Nice to meet you too, Miss... Miss... Oh what was your name again? Miss Devil... shoot that's not right. Miss Violet? Ah ha! Yodel! Nice to meet you, Miss Yodel." He extended his arm, beaming widely.

He was so proud of himself that Videl couldn't bear to correct him. She shook his hand pleasantly.

"Now, Miss Yodel," he began, perching himself at the table once more. "Why are you with Carth? Please, don't make me cross."

"To be perfectly frank, Doctor, I'm not here by choice," Videl responded, loving every minute of conversing with Dr. Flappe.

The Doctor tutted loudly, shaking his head. "I am sad to say it doesn't surprise me. My old friend Goku stopped by quite recently to tell me about another girl Carth is holding hostage. It's becoming a frightening pattern."

"Uh, Doctor," Videl began tentatively, "I've been with Carth this entire time. He doesn't have anyone else hostage as far as I'm aware."

His eyes widened, magnified by his massive spectacles. "Don't you believe him, missie. He's a bad egg."

"So I've been told," the girl replied dryly. "What did you say your friend's name was?"

"You mean Goku. Looking as young as ever. That boy never ages, I swear. His little bald friend too. I wonder if they ever found that android they were looking for... oh wait. He's in my living room. Maybe they'll stop by. I'd better make some more toast!"

'_Toast...?'_ Videl thought, now quite confused. Deciding to shrug it off, she asked, "What did he say Carth wanted with this girl? Did he know?" She really couldn't envision there being someone else her boss was stowing away, which meant this Goku person was talking about her, Videl.

"Goku said the girl was a friend of his, but between you and me, that boy doesn't brood over just anyone, and I couldn't even cheer him up with marmalade. Marmalade!" he repeated as if it was inconceivable to him that his home remedy had failed.

This really wasn't getting her anywhere, even if it was quite amusing. "Did Goku at least say what her name was?"

Before the insane doctor could respond, there was a loud crash, alerting Videl to her captor's grand entrance. Never one to do things half-assed, Carth had merely decided to punch directly through the door and rip it off its hinges rather than use the civil route. If she was correct, then he likely did so as an act of superiority, since that's the only time he ever went full out.

"What's got you all riled up, Carth?" she questioned.

Carth laughed as he dodged a ferocious punch from Eighter, who bounded in over the wreckage of the door. "I haven't had this much fun since the last time Coco decommissioned an android, and by 'decommissioned', I mean 'ordered me to rip his head off'." He lunged for the older model, trapping Eighter's neck in the crook of his elbow and squeezing with all his might. With his spare hand, he patted the trapped warrior on the head, like a well behaved dog. "We're having fun, aren't we, little brother?"

"Brother?" Videl and Flappe asked, almost in unison.

"What? Don't see the family resemblance?" Carth squeezed tighter, pulling his face next to the captive android's. He gave Eighter's cheek a hard pinch, leaving a red welt. "Same chubby little cheeks," he sighed with mock sentiment. "Same clanking innards," he said, pointing to Eighter's leg, where his skin had been filleted. The skin peeled away to reveal a network of cables and cords, moving and sliding like tendons and tissue.

Videl's eyes brushed over her captor's high cheekbones and gaunt face. "Striking," she said dryly.

"Doc!" Carth called.

The teen noted that her pleasant host had sought shelter behind his chair. "I'm not here!" Flappe called, a hand plastered over his eyes.

"From between your fingers, old man, you might notice that I've got you friend in a very compromising position," Carth started. Videl could see his trademark smirk creeping his way onto his face, which didn't bode well. "My little bro here might just have an accident if you don't tell me where it is!" His voice rose to a roar that rattled the windows in their frames.

"Where what is?" the good doctor asked meekly, his voice barely more than a squeak.

"The Dragon Ball, Doc! Come on, I thought you were smart!"

"What's... what's... what's..." Flappe stammered like a broken record.

"What's... what's..." Carth mocked in a nasal imitation of the eccentric man's voice. "What's a Dragon Ball?"

Flappe squeaked: An affirmation.

"Orange. Shiny. Couple stars on it," Carth snapped. "Yay big," he added, holding his hands several centimeters apart. Eighter took the opportunity to struggle, but the stronger android wasn't having any of it. He jammed his knee into the back of Eighter's neck, introducing the captive's face to the polished tile floor, hard.

Videl cringed as she heard something snap. "Doctor," she said delicately, "maybe you should just give it to him, or at least look around." Then under her breath, she added, "Look around." Her eyes locked with his, and he nodded.

"An orange ball?" Flapped echoed. "I might have one around here somewhere, but I'll have to look." He glanced at Videl, as if looking for approval.

She gave him a small smile and a subtle nod. "I'll take the Doctor and check..." Flappe pointed down. "... downstairs," she continued. "In the basement. You check upstairs."

Carth eyed her suspiciously. Videl held her breath as his chocolate eyes bored into her, trying to ascertain her motives. After what seemed like an eternity, he sighed, saying, "Be on your best behavior."

Videl let a stream of air pass through her lips only when she heard Carth's thudding footsteps going up the stairs. She took the doctor's hand with a gentle, reassuring squeeze, and helped him over Eighter's unconscious form and down into the dank basement. The room was like a magpie's nest, minus the bird feathers. She spotted a plume of dark feather's, crow or raven presumably, wedged between a tarnished chalice and the broken legs of an easel. Scratch that: the place was exactly like a magpie's nest. It would take ages for them to locate anything in here.

The girl was just starting to get used to the sickeningly sweet odor when Flappe sighed. "I know just what he's looking for. Should I find it?"

It was an interesting question. Should Flappe find the Dragon Ball? Should he hand it over to Carth? Eighter would certainly die if the doctor chose to be uncooperative, and Carth would rip the place to shreds. He might even enslave the locals again to help him look. "You don't have a choice," she said solemnly. "Not the choice you thought."

"Be direct, missie!" he chastised as he made his way through the immense hoard of rubbish. "Out with it!"

"That girl that Carth has... it's me."

"And the other one," Dr. Flappe corrected.

"Just me. Your friends were looking for me. I can prove it! The bald man, his name was Krillin, right?"

"Butter my buns and call me a biscuit," the eccentric inventor gasped. "You're that girl Goku married! How's your son what's-his-name? Goham? Gonuts?"

"Gohan!"

"That's the one! He must be getting pretty big now. Bet he looks just like his father."

"He's a carbon copy," Videl agreed with the doctor. "Hey Doc, could you give this to Goku?" she continued, keeping up the charade. The raven-haired teenager then proceeded to hand her deactivation remote to the crazed doctor.

The doctor dangled the foreign device over his head, craning his neck to examine the device through his spectacles. "What is it?" he mused softly.

"The key to my temporary freedom," Videl responded. "Please go to West City, and ask Bulma Brief to call Goku. Do you know where she lives? Take Eighter with you. If you don't; he does. And please, doctor, don't forget this. It's important."

"I'll be over there faster than a jackrabbit with his tail on fire," Flappe said with a wink. "But tell me, Yolanda, why do I need to talk to Goku?"

Sighing, Videl took a chance to mull her thoughts. She wasn't getting anywhere! They were going in circles. "Goku just needs to see this. Tell him it controls me, and also if you see Vegeta, tell him sorry."

The eccentric doctor wrapped his fingers around the innocuous-looking device. "It controls Goku, and Vegeta needs to tell you he's sorry. I hear you loud and clear." He nodded proudly.

At this point, Videl was just going to say a prayer and miraculously hope Flappe got it right when it counted. That is, if he even remembered that he needed to go talk to Bulma in the first place. Exasperated, she looked around the room. "Do you have a pen and paper? Let me just write down what I want you to do."

The aging man produced a pen from somewhere deep within his greying afro. The paper was trickier, but he managed to find one in the magpie nest he called a basement, wedged beneath a mangled bust labeled 'Beloved Beatrice.' Videl didn't know who Beatrice was, but she internally thanked the woman as she scribbled a message to her knight in shining armor. She pressed the wrinkled paper into Flappe's hands.

"Now that you won't forget my message for Goku," Videl started, "we can find this Dragon Ball before Carth blows this place to kingdom come. Do you have any ideas on where to start?"

"Start," Flappe snorted with a dismissive wave of his hand. He plunged an arm into a pile of junk, his tongue poking out from the corner of his mouth. His eyes crossed as he concentrated on his extremities. Suddenly he jumped up like he'd been shocked. Videl wondered for a moment if something had bitten him, but then she realized that he clutched something in his hand: something orange.

That went far more smoothly than Videl could have hoped. "That's great, doctor!" she exclaimed. "I didn't think you'd find it this quickly. Let's go find Carth before he causes permanent destruction."

As it turns out, they were too late. Carth had gone upstairs, alright, and channeled his inner decorator. Videl looked around in disbelief; what was once been a bedroom was now an open-air patio.

"Something seems different..." the Doctor mused, running his hand through his hair.

"Like what I've done with the place?" Carth asked as he surveyed his handiwork.

"I've seen better. I think the arch you created over there," she said, pointing to a rounded crater-like opening in the wall, "could've been sculpted more carefully. It's a little rough around the edges."

"What can I say, I work my art with my ki, not my fists," he said with a casual shrug. Then he rounded on the former Red Ribbon Army scientist. "Do I have to demonstrate on you, Doc?"

"Demonstrations won't be necessary this time, you blood-thirsty goon," Videl explained, pointing towards the orange sphere in the eccentric doctor's hands.

"Come to papa!" he said, his eyes shining like a kid on Christmas morning. "Thanks Doc. Now that's what I call hospitality."

Videl was certainly relieved they escaped this extravaganza with no casualties. It was a nice change of pace from the death following their hunt. "Thanks for the small talk, Doctor," she called out. "Nice to meet you, Eighter!" Taking charge, Videl summoned her ki and began to levitate near the giant hole in the wall.

"Let's get out of here," Carth said to Videl, following her lead. He tossed the orange ball from hand to hand as he headed out into the blue sky, smirking his trademark smirk. "Three down, four to go."

* * *

><p>Tavo put down the newspaper and frowned. Videl Satan gone bad? Tavo, by nature, didn't let his thoughts run away from him and treated conspiracy theorists with disdain, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Coco was involved. It wouldn't be surprising; Coco was involved in many seemingly unrelated incidents. He glanced out the train window and watched the rain drum against the window. The train was moving slightly behind schedule but he didn't mind. As a sniper he was used to sitting still for long periods of time, and usually in less comfort.<p>

His attention was drawn to the overhead compartment and his wriggling sports bag. He grabbed the chloroform-infused rag from the table, then the bag. He slammed his luggage down, hoping to jarr the blue cat. He unzipped the bag and plunged the rag blindly downwards and missed; the creature had bitten the invading hand. Tavo swore and pulled his hand back out, then forced it back down and still missed the elusive beast.

On the third try he managed to push the rag onto the cat's face and a few seconds later it stopped struggling. Just then the train began to stop. Tavo quickly crammed the rag back into his pocket and slung the sports bag over his shoulder. He crouched down and retrieved the briefcase that contained the deconstructed parts of his sniper rifle from under the table. Just in time too, he was pretty much out of chloroform.

The sniper could hear other people getting up and collecting their luggage and opening compartment doors. He took one last glance around to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything before going out into the corridor.

People moved to the side as soon as they saw his hulking form walking briskly towards them. On most occasions Tavo made a point to try and not stand out in a crowd in case someone recognised him after a hit and told the police, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and surely he was desperate. Wren was dead and if he didn't get a Dragon Ball to Coco he'd be dead too. Hell, he'd settle for giving it to Carth. Even if the android was sure to lie about it and say he'd got it on his own, if it meant him escaping the Grim Reaper's scythe he wouldn't complain

Tavo stepped out onto the train station and took a deep breath of crisp, unfiltered country air. He headed into a nearby cafe to grab a cup of coffee. Normally he would never have coffee but he had been up for over twenty four hours and it was starting to show. He threw some change on the counter and left, grimacing as he tasted the bitter coffee. A necessary evil.

Tavo once again checked his cheap pay-as-you-go phone: no messages from Carth. Good, he had some time left before Carth started demanding results. He walked over to a cheap motel and paid for a room in cash. He opted to use the stairs to get up to his room, as there was sure to be a security camera in the elevator. The burly man preferred to stay out of CCTV as much as possible.

Tavo opened the room door and threw the sports bag on the flea-infested double bed and his briefcase on the floor. He threw open the wardrobe and pulled out all the drawers from the two bedside tables. He pulled the rug from the floor as well, no obvious bugs. Tavo walked over to the door and locked it, he proceeded to drag one of the bedside tables over to the door to barricade the would buy him an extra few seconds if someone broke in. He was being paranoid, he knew that. Wren had teased him about his paranoia at least a hundred times.

Shaking thoughts of his deceased comrade out of his head Tavo moved over to the bathroom. He took a quick look around the bathroom, glancing behind the taps and peering at the plumbing, and found no bugs. The hitman closed the curtains and focused his attention on the bed, or more specifically the sports bag on the bed. He unzipped the bag and let the unconscious blue cat tumble onto the duvet. He pulled the chair out from the desk in the corner and sat down. It shouldn't be too long before the creature regained consciousness. Then it was questioning time.

Less than half an hour later the cat stirred, its tail twitched before its black eyes snapped open. Confused and frightened. Tavo had expected the cat to lash out in its confused state, but Tavo was physically stronger and thought he could overpower the small blue cat easily. What he hadn't expected was for the small creature to turn into a sword.

A freaking sword!

Tavo hit the ground and rolled, the sword whizzing past and striking the cheap plaster wall. Dust flew up from the impact. Tavo rose to one knee, pulled up his shirt and took the small silenced pistol from his pants waistband. He hastily cocked the safety off and took aim.

The cat - or sword, rather - disappeared. For all he knew, it had probably turned into a speck of dust. Tavo stopped firing but the damage was already done, three bullets embedded themselves into the wall causing more dust to rise into the air. The burly man cursed. He had heard of shapeshifters before but he never thought he'd meet one in the flesh. The hitman paused, his ears and eyes straining to see or hear anything. The metal baseball bat came out of nowhere, it smashed into the back of his head. Tavo lay curled on the ground in the fetal position. His eyesight was blurry and his ears were ringing, he tasted blood in his mouth. Seconds felt like hours as he rose to his feet on shaky legs, he grabbed his pistol as he rose.

The creature was back in its blue cat form and was perched on top of the wardrobe. "Where's Yamcha? Tell me!" it demanded in a shrill voice.

Tavo responded by firing the last three shots into its small chest.

"Oh," the cat whispered weakly just before he tumbled down onto the carpet with a soft thud. Tavo walked over to the creature, tucking the used pistol back into his pants waistband after turning the safety on. A sanguine puddle was already developing around the fallen animal.

The hitman rolled the dying cat onto it's back and spoke. "Tell me where I can find a Dragon Ball and I will let the desert bandit live." He wasn't lying either; he knew that he didn't have a chance against the desert bandit if Wren couldn't beat Yamcha.

Their eyes met and the creature spoke. "Korin's...Tower."

Tavo walked over to the bed and opened his bag. He fished out some gauze and wrapped it around his head, stemming the bleeding, then washed the cat's blood off his hands in the bathroom sink. When he re-entered the bedroom, he didn't bother to check if the shape shifting cat was dead yet, as frankly it didn't matter. He didn't bother picking up the bullets either, after all the pistol wasn't registered on any database. With a careless gesture, the mercenary threw the table to one side and unlocked the door.

His thoughts drifted as he walked down the stairwell. Korin's Tower... He had no clue where that could be so he would have to risk it. He fished his phone out of his pocket with a mammoth hand and texted the most recent number he had for Carth. He would have to hope that Carth hadn't changed his phone in the last five days.

_This is T. Do you know where Korin's Tower is?"_

* * *

><p>Zooming through the air at blistering speeds, the half-Saiyan couldn't help but allow himself to be consumed by his thoughts. Guilt ate away at him for not being able to save yet another of his friends from death. He couldn't save his father, couldn't save his mother, couldn't save Videl, and now he couldn't save Toh-Toh. Hell, he had even been too weak to rescue Piccolo, Tien, Chiaotzu and Yamcha from death's doorstep all those years ago. Every giant step he made in strength, the evildoers of the world shot him down two pegs. It was infuriating!<p>

This time would not go unpunished though. A defenseless dinosaur? What was next, a shapeshifting animal?

He knew he was blinded by his anger, but it truly did not matter one bit to him. He needed to get ahead of the game and figure out a solution to this entire mess. As he began to see Satan City entering his peripheral vision, he forced himself to calm down. Harboring anger over Toh-Toh's death would do him no good at the moment. He needed to keep a clear head and work towards his end goal.

He did have another pressing issue, though: landing without arousing suspicion. He hadn't had to deal with anything resembling secrecy ever since he decided to leave school with Videl. In the past few weeks since then, everything had been out in the open.

Pausing in mid-air, Gohan adopted a contemplative pose while hovering, his hands crossed over his chest. "I guess I could just land in the city as Saiya," he mused aloud. All that was necessary for his Saiya costume was taking off his shirt and turning Super Saiyan. With a plan set, Gohan allowed his aura to grow and his power to increase. The winds picked up around him as the energy output he was creating caused the air patterns to be disturbed. With an effortless flex of his muscles, he expended the last bit of energy needed to transform, his charcoal-black hair taking on a spectacular golden tint.

As the winds died down, Gohan's golden aura became visible, his radiant power glowing in the sky. His get-up complete, the superhero turned his sights towards Satan City below. He'd need to land somewhere unpopulated to set up camp so innocent civilians wouldn't get in the way. At the same time, he didn't want to be too far from the main population center of the city. A well developed, less inhabited section of the city would best serve his purposes. With a mission in mind, the Saiyan extended his senses and began the process of sensing the life forces of Satan City.

Within seconds, he had a target area in mind. He could identify a part of town near the bank that consisted of buildings, for the most part. There were a lot of structures in the area, but very few residential buildings. There was even a park in the middle of the six-block region, which he could use to his advantage once his plan began to come together.

Slowly, Gohan descended towards the ground, taking extra care to stay out of sight, despite his cover as a Super Saiyan. He landed between two large buildings in an alleyway, opting to make the rest of the trip on foot. As he traversed the streets en route to his destination, the Saiyan couldn't help but notice his surroundings in further detail. He could see the park where he intended to set up camp dead ahead of him, with a pair of mid-sized buildings, each likely twenty to thirty floors in size, directly to the left and right of the park. They were completely barren, with not even a single soul inhabiting either location, which made them the perfect cover for the park he'd stay in.

If this got messy, at least the casualties would probably be kept to a minimum. Who knew how bold Carth would be? Videl had already made her presence known in an incredibly public fashion, so secrecy was out the window. That would be another issue once this entire situation resolved itself, provided his raven-haired friend made it out unscathed; was it even possible to repair the image of a renowned crimefighter when said person commits a crime herself?

With the park directly in front of him, Gohan navigated his way towards the entrance of the green area, finding a bumpy dirt road leading into the center. He passed small wooden benches along the way, occasionally noticing a stray animal of sorts, but no actual humans. Trees populated the park, but the thing which appealed the most to Gohan was the hills which were scattered across the park, working in conjunction with the nearby buildings to create an interesting dynamic of obscured vision for anyone in the park. It could come in handy later.

In one particularly shielded part of the park, Gohan found a hill which supported a silver, wooden bridge, and chose that particular location as the spot where he would set up camp. The area under the bridge was covered and provided ample opportunity to observe his surroundings. Since he was unable to sense the ki of either Carth or Videl, the element of surprise could be vital to gaining the upper hand.

To his pleasant surprise, there was a wooden bench in the corner of the area under the bridge. He took it as a fine chance to sit down and gather his thoughts, placing the Dragon Ball at his side. At this point, his next step was basically a waiting game consisting of hiding the Dragon Ball adequately, perhaps underground again, and further surveying his surroundings to create a makeshift home field advantage.

Unfortunately, it also provided downtime where he could dwell on what had just happened once again. Gohan leaned over and placed his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. Contemplating recent events was proving more difficult than he'd previously thought. The most troubling aspect of the entire situation was that he needed to disturb his mother's grave to find the orange sphere beside him.

He hadn't thought much into his mom's death lately, excepting obviously that everything that was happening was _related _to her death. As far as her actually dying, it'd mostly been blocked out of his mind, for better or for worse. Now, though, he had all the time in the world to just sit and think about her, how much he missed her, and what would happen when all of this ended. Where would he _go _from here? The Ox Kingdom needed someone to watch over it, and he was the clearest candidate to overtake his late grandfather's throne and restore order; but, could someone with his past truly live with himself as a monarch?

Sighing, Gohan leaned back onto the support of the bench, interlocking his hands behind his head. His body slid forward a little as he angled himself upward towards the sky, longingly gazing up at both the underside of the bridge and the hints of blue seeping through from beyond it.

"Mom," he began, talking to himself and to the heavens above, "I really miss you. I don't know what to do. I can't wait for everything to be over and for things to be normal for the first time since that day." Gohan paused at that, reconsidering his words. "Who am I kidding? Nothing will ever be normal. Goten will always think Bulma and Vegeta are his parents. I _killed _Bulma's father for what he did to Videl. Why does everything need to be so fucked up?"

By this point, the half-Saiyan felt his eyes begin to tear up, water droplets finding their way onto his cheeks. "I've tried everything I can, really. I went to school. I made friends. I even rekindled my friendships with Piccolo, Krillin and Bulma to an extent, but nothing works. Everything still ends up completely messed up no matter what I try. I can't let Videl go either. I need to try, for her."

Gohan put his external monologue on hold for a moment, and reached to his side, grasping the orange ball between his fingertips and blankly looking down at the four stars inscribed on its surface. The ball meant so much to his family, from originally being passed down by his namesake to being the final piece to his childhood wardrobe. It also was a stark reminder of his past, of what he was now missing, and of why he needed to restore normalcy to his life. One day, the four-star ball would continue down the family lineage to Goten. When that day came, Gohan wanted to be right by his brother's side, explaining why it was so crucial to their family.

The only downside to keeping the Dragon Ball so close was that he was constantly bombarded by the memories of digging it up, of seeing Chi Chi's face in his mind as he did so. The dirt had been mostly undisturbed through the years, his mother's grave and its surrounding area preserved. It was quite lucky that Carth and Videl hadn't searched for that Dragon Ball next after the one in Toh-Toh's nest, but Gohan wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

The process of actually finding the Dragon Ball had bordered on traumatic for Gohan; it was essentially an endless stream of unwelcome memories making themselves known. They ranged from his first memory of life with his mother to a time he and his parents went to a park in West City for a picnic, to the wonderful days which preceded the Cell Games. The floodgates had opened for the first time since he'd been spending time at his family home with Videl, and it took all of his willpower to force down the memories and work towards his goal of downing RabitGrass once and for all.

And the first step would be planning his assault on Carth, with which he was getting nowhere by dwelling on sadness. His resolve steeled, Gohan wiped his tear-stained eyes with his forearm. His aura was still whipping violently, causing the ascended Saiyan to realize that in his deep thought he'd kicked up leaves and branches that were lying near the bridge.

Deciding that he'd been in his Saiya persona long enough, Gohan was just about to power down when his sensitive hearing picked up the distinct sounds of screaming far off in the distance, followed quickly by a rapid succession of rounds being fired off by a gun. The superhero quickly set aside the Dragon Ball, choosing to bury it in the underside of the bridge with the hope that he'd be able to save these people quickly and without any injuries piling up on his conscience. He also realized, somewhat humorously, that he needed to buy a backpack to keep the Dragon Ball in.

His menial tasks complete, Gohan took off into the sky as Saiya, not caring this time whether any pedestrians caught sight of him. He would worry about repercussions _after _he kicked some random criminal's ass.

The sights passed below him at incredible speeds as Gohan sped through the sky towards where he could still hear earsplitting screams gracing the city. Within seconds, he found himself hovering about Satan City Terminal, the main hub for mass transit to enter and exit from.

'_What the hell? That's different...' _he mused to himself.

Throwing caution to the wind, Saiya descended rapidly, his hard landing alerting the nearby citizens to his presence. Several of the passing people regarded him cautiously, but the superhero paid them no heed and instead turned his sights towards the gigantic building. The front of the building was composed of see-through glass windows, which meant Gohan could easily discern that the disturbance was being caused by four or five masked gunmen with machine guns. There seemed to be hostages as well, which was the only thing that concerned the teen.

He decided that a graceful, nondescript entrance would be best, lest he startle one of the captors and cause them to fire their weapons. If he had control of the situation then he could use his spectacular speed to catch any bullet that was fired, but if he startled the criminals, they might all fire and cause stray bullets to hit humans. With that in mind, the Super Saiyan suppressed his power to an acceptable level so he wouldn't completely destroy the terminal as he entered, and walked through the revolving glass door, right into the heart of the storm. Immediately, two of the gunmen - of which he could now clearly identify there were four - pointed their weapons at him. The other two subtly redirected their firearms at the hostages, causing a slight conundrum for Gohan. If two open fired at him, that would be no problem; he could just catch all of the bullets. Should the other decide to enter the fray, however, that would cause issues, since he couldn't protect the people outside the terminal behind him from stray bullets and also protect the hostages.

"What are you doing here, mate?" one of the crooks asked him. Saiya now assumed he was the leader, since the others looked towards him as he spoke. The man wasn't very intimidating at about five feet and ten inches tall, but he still held an air of authority.

"I just heard some racket and it was keeping me from my midday nap," Gohan answered coolly, keeping his face a blank facade devoid of emotion.

"Well, why don't ya scram?" another criminal proposed, his filthy teeth on display as he crudely smiled. The man's eyes bore into Gohan, but the Super Saiyan wouldn't flinch.

"I'm good." Who knew two simple words could incite such anger? Immediately, all four crooks visibly grew irritated with Saiya's nonchalant attitude.

Suddenly, one of the men's eyes widened. "Hey, you're that freak who used to clean up some of the crime around here, aren't you?"

Really? A freak? He hadn't even really assisted much, just a handful of times. Very few people would really know about anything having to do with that.

"If you want to remain in one piece," he began menacingly, "then I would recommend _not _calling me a freak. Play nice." He'd try and be nice, to give them a chance at redemption before he ended this situation.

"What's your name, freak?" the fourth crook rudely asked.

The little things in life annoyed Gohan. These thieves had pushed his buttons for the last time. "Well, since you asked so nicely," he started, "I'll tell you; it's going to be the last thing you hear as a free man, though. My name is Saiya."

With his two cents said, the Super Saiyan shot forward, delivering a quick strike to the leader's chest, instantaneously knocking the man unconscious. He held back his power enough so to only knock him out and not kill him. Speeding up, Gohan made his movements fast enough to appear invisible to the human eye.

"Where the hell did he go, Jim?" the criminal who'd set him over the edge said, addressing the criminal who'd recognized Gohan. His wide brown eyes surveyed the terminal, desperately searching for any trace of Saiya.

"I have no idea," Jim responded, flabbergasted. "Saiya!" he called out into the silent air. "Come out of hiding or I'll shoot a hostage!" Instantly, all of the people trapped in the terminal began frantically blurting out horrified, scared shouts.

"Ugh!" the last criminal sputtered, his jaw dropped, before he fell to the ground, knocked out.

"What just happened, Danny?" Jim asked his last remaining cohort. He turned, expecting a quick response, but was greeted with the unconscious form of a third of his friends. "You asked for it, Saiya!" he shouted, turning to the hostages, his gun armed. "You there, in the red, come here."

A larger, bald man stood up from the crowd and fearfully made his way over to his captor. "W-what?" he asked, his voice unable to remain steady and hide his fear.

"This freak has tested our patience, so I've been forced to kill one of you to retaliate for his disobedience. Turn around and get on your knees," Jim ordered.

The man looked positively terrified at this point, but could do nothing except comply, kneeling on the ground, whimpering. "P-please, don't do this," he begged.

Jim was having none of it, though. "I didn't want to, but I need to," he said, showing a small amount of remorse for his coming action. With his bit said, the criminal loaded the gun, pointed it directly at the bald man's head and squeezed the trigger.

_Whoosh_

It all happened extremely fast. One second, the gun recoiled a little as the bullet was ejected from the chamber. The next, a golden flash entered everyone's field of vision, inches behind the man's skull.

Saiya stood in the middle of the terminal once more, his right fist balled, shut tight. Slowly, the golden-haired superhero unraveled his fingers, the residue of the crushed bullet falling to the ground. "I think this was yours, _Jim_," he sneered. Then, just as quickly, he sped forward, elbowing the last remaining criminal in the gut. Before Jim fell unconscious, Gohan leaned forward to whisper in his ear, "You never had a chance."

With that, the final crook fell unconscious and Gohan was left to deal with the aftermath. The crowd of hostages was evenly split between showering Saiya with applause and being hesitant of his strange powers. In fact, some even cried out their disappointment that he hadn't stepped in sooner.

"You almost let that man die!" a particularly outraged woman shouted at him.

"I didn't though, did I?" he snapped back. These people were seriously going to complain about _how _he'd saved them? They were only alive because of him.

"For what it's worth," the bald man he'd saved spoke up, "thank you."

"No problem," he offered. Gohan then stepped back through the revolving doors, ignoring the ruckus in the terminal. As the outside light shone into his vision once again, he was bombarded with a sea of people waiting outside the terminal.

"Are you going to kill us like Videl?" one particularly annoying looking woman screamed at him. Others also yelled at him, some voicing their concerns over Videl, others asking where he'd been, even others expressing outrage that he, a _vigilante_, had stepped into that situation.

"No, I am not going to kill you," he said, appeasing their concerns. "I do believe there is a good person in Videl and that _when _she returns, she should be given a chance to explain her actions like anyone else would be."

His opinion stated, Gohan proceeded to lift off the ground intent on heading back to his quaint park and relaxing after all the excitement. As he was a few feet off the ground, however, he noticed Hercule Satan staring at him from off to the side. Taking pity on the elder man, Saiya flew over to the World Champion and landed directly in front of him.

"Would you like to talk, Champ?" he asked Hercule, his eyes glancing off in the opposite direction of the masses. Upon receiving a nod, the two martial artists began a brisk jog away from all of the pedestrians and media members. Once they were far enough away, Gohan continued. "I'm currently staying in a nearby park. Let me power down, and then I'll fly us over there." A plan established, Gohan relaxed his muscles and let his ki slowly decrease as he released his power. His vibrant golden hair quickly lost its majestic touch and faded back into its previous black color. He then scooped Hercule up by putting his arms under the older man's shoulders and lifted the pair into the sky.

"Where's Videl?" Hercule asked as soon as they were in the air. It seemed he didn't feel like wasting any time and rather immediately wanted answers to his questions.

"I don't know," Gohan dejectedly admitted. "She was kidnapped from Capsule Corp. several days ago." Back when he and Videl had first agreed to the fake assassination plot, before Bahia Rhizoma had entered the fray, they'd agreed to shield Hercule from the details, but this was different. He was Videl's father, and he had a right to know what was happening.

"What they're saying... it can't be true," Mr. Satan rambled on. "It just can't be. My baby girl would never hurt anyone!"

Gohan could sympathize with an overprotective parent, considering how protective his _own _mother had been. Still, sometimes a parent needed to hear the blunt truth. "I don't know exactly what's happened," he conceded, "but from what I've been told Videl isn't herself and _did _hurt those people. I'm sure that despite whatever has happened to her, there is still a genuinely fantastic person in there. She saved me from a long depression, if you didn't know."

"By dating you?" Hercule retorted, a slight pang of anger apparent across his face.

"No," Gohan admitted once again. "That was a ruse, to an extent. We became very close friends, but never dated." The thought had crossed his mind during the time following the failed assassination, and especially in the proceeding days. He and Videl got along very well, but this entire Carth debacle had put a huge dent in the progress their friendship had been making.

"Why did you lie then, kid?" the Champ asked, his anger vanished. "I don't get it. What was Videl and your play?"

"It's complicated," Gohan said. "I don't want to get into the details."

"I have time," Hercule stated, holding firm. "My daughter is missing and apparently killed someone. I think I can set aside the time to hear the entire story."

And so, Gohan told Hercule some details. He told him about his familial lineage and how his mother was assassinated. He explained how he and Videl used her as a decoy to draw out a RabitGrass assassin and then explained how those same criminals who'd killed his mother had kidnapped Videl and tried to kill his brother.

"So, let me get this straight," the burly man said, attempting to clarify the flood of information he'd received. "You're the missing Ox Prince, and you're also the saviour of the world. Did I miss anything?"

"Those are the important details, I suppose. Are you satisfied, now?" he inquired, his lips curling up in a smile as Hercule nodded his head.

"Keep safe, kid. Bring Videl back home. Kami knows I don't have the power to combat whatever it is has her now. Please bring her back to me. For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I didn't really get to properly apologize the last time we talked."

"It's no problem, Mr. Satan. I'll bring her back. I promise."

Their conversation finished, Hercule left the park on foot, reaching the road before decapsulizing his car. As the older man drove off towards the main area of Satan City, Gohan was left to his thoughts.

"The missing Ox Prince, huh?" he mused aloud. It was true. He was missing for such a long time that he'd developed that reputation amongst the masses. That was about to change, though. "Well, the world is about to finally find the Ox Prince, I suppose, even if they don't know it's him."

He was missing no more.

* * *

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